Alsace

A mosaic of soils

The north-south collapse of the Rhine rift created a dense network of faults.¹ The result is a mosaic of small compartments with very varied soils.¹ There are shallow brown soils on schist, granite or sandstone of the Vosges, calcareous soils of the sub-Vosgian hills with conglomerates and marls, and sandy-gravelly alluvial soils.¹

The grands crus show the same range: fractured granite of quartz, feldspar and two micas in Brand, Bathonian and Bajocian limestone in Florimont, dolomites and dolomitic marls in Geisberg.² The profile is only a schematic of marl and limestone over granite, since here these rocks lie side by side as often as one above another.

Behind the Vosges

The Vosges shield the vineyard from oceanic influences, and annual rainfall is 500 to 650 mm.¹ The vines grow mainly on the east face of the Vosges piedmont, mostly between 200 and 400 metres.¹

Grapes and grands crus

Permitted varieties include Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat, Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir.¹ There are 51 Alsace grand cru appellations, and their recognition was built around white varieties.² Today the AOC has about 15,000 hectares in production.¹

Timeline

1. 1945

   An ordinance of 2 November creates the committee of experts of Alsace wines.¹

2. 1962

   The Alsace AOC is recognised.¹

3. 1975

   The first Alsace grand cru decree, of 20 November.²

Grapes

• Riesling
• Gewürztraminer
• Pinot Gris
• Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains
• Pinot Noir

Soils

• Marl
• Limestone
• Granite

Sources

1. Cahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Alsace » (procédure nationale d'opposition, comité national du 12/06/2025). INAO, 2025. level 1 · checked 2026-10-13
2. Cahier des charges des appellations d'origine contrôlées « Alsace grand cru » (procédure nationale d'opposition, comité national du 11/09/2024). INAO, 2024. level 1 · checked 2026-10-13