Have you ever tasted an Alsace Premier Cru wine? You haven’t heard of such a thing? There is a good reason for that… It does not exist.

Alsace’s Grand Cru vineyard system has been widely criticised for many reasons, but there are two main reasons. The first main reason is that the Grand Cru rankings promote varietal wines made of four notable Alsatian grape varieties (Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Muscat), and exclude other varieties and mixes, even when they’re created utilising the previously mentioned four varieties. The second main reason is that the system includes not simply the great vineyards of the region, but also a lot of vineyards that are potentially not capable of manufacturing Grand Cru level wines.

Why doesn’t Alsace have a Premier Cru classification? The answer may lie in the recent history of the area. By recent, I am referring to the last 400 years or so.

At quick glance, you will come to understand that the region is at the center of Europe at the border of Germany and France. You may also learn (if you did not know already) that war has ripped up the region. The last 400 years of war in Alsace have turned the wine industry up, down, left, and right. It has struggled to survive, held on for dear life, and is now on the up and up, apparently recapturing its former strength and vigor.

About thirty years or so after World War II, Alsatian producers agreed that, in an attempt to raise the quality of production of Alsatian wine, an official classification system should be established and applied. It took a little time to create it, and there was an abundance of debate. With the 1983 vintage, the Grand Cru classification system was in force, but the debate has continued.

The key criticism of the classification system has to do with real-estate and so levels of classification. Some Grand Cru vineyards merit the identification, while many others may deserve special designation, but not always the “Grand Cru” moniker. Unfortunately, there’s no “Premier Cru” classification or “Village” classification, as in Burgundy.

That may be a great thing for the American market, where simplicity is almost invariably a good thing. American’s want to know, “What’s the grape and what country does it come from?” So, another revision of the system and addition of a Premier Cru level may complicate things for the consumer.

But it could be a good thing for the consumer in terms of quality… And it may be good for Alsace as well.

Nic Haegeli still considers himself rather new to the wine business, but he now has several years of experience as a wine manager at Colonial Spirits of Acton. With a BA in History and a Master of Public Policy in International Relations, Nic never envisioned himself working with wine. Nevertheless, he was raised in Alsace, France… So it is sensible when you know where he comes from.

Nic would like to invite you to stop by our liquor store in Acton, MA for one of our many wine tastings . If you can’t stop by the physical store, then please consider our web store with liquor store delivery. Place an order with Colonial Spirits Delivers and have your wine delivered anywhere in Eastern Massachusetts!