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The Pfifferdaj of Ribeauvillé - the Minstrels' Festival
The Pfifferdaj of Ribeauvillé - the Minstrels' Festival
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The Pfifferdaj, "day of the fife players", is one of Alsace's oldest and most colourful traditional festivals....

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Alsatian Wood Carving - Folk Tradition and Artisan Craftsmanship
Alsatian Wood Carving - Folk Tradition and Artisan Craftsmanship
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Alsatian wood carving draws its origins from the forest abundance of the Vosges and from a centuries-old farming...

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Alsatian Weaving - the Textile Art of Traditional Household Linen
Alsatian Weaving - the Textile Art of Traditional Household Linen
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Alsatian weaving, with its characteristic colourful check patterns and centuries-old textile craftsmanship,...

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Betschdorf Pottery - the Art of Blue-Grey Salt-Glazed Stoneware
Betschdorf Pottery - the Art of Blue-Grey Salt-Glazed Stoneware
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Betschdorf pottery - in reality stoneware rather than faience in the strict sense - is one of Alsace's most...

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Meisenthal Blown Glass - the Ancestral Art of Vosges Crystal
Meisenthal Blown Glass - the Ancestral Art of Vosges Crystal
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Since 1704, the village of Meisenthal has perpetuated the ancestral art of blown glass in the Vosges forest of...

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Alsatian Food and Wine Pairings - the Guide to Perfect Matches

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Why Alsatian Food and Wine Pairings Are Unique

Alsace is one of the few French wine regions where each grape variety is vinified and marketed separately, mostly without blending. This specificity - inherited from the Germanic winemaking tradition - offers remarkable clarity for anyone wishing to compose precise pairings.

Alsatian cuisine itself, rich and generous, has been shaped over the centuries in symbiosis with these wines. Sauerkraut, foie gras, Munster, flammekueche, game and pastries find in the local vineyard partners of incomparable precision.

Riesling - the King of Alsatian Pairings

  • Choucroute: the most emblematic pairing in Alsatian cuisine
  • Freshwater fish: Rhine matelote, trout or pikeperch
  • Seafood and shellfish: oysters, langoustines, lobster
  • Light Asian cuisine: its liveliness pairs well with sweet-savoury flavours

Sylvaner and Chasselas - Everyday Freshness

  • Flammekueche: the classic pairing par excellence
  • Salads and cold starters
  • Fresh and goat's cheese
  • Asparagus: the classic spring pairing

Pinot Gris - Power and Breadth

  • Poultry in sauce: coq au Riesling, hen with morels
  • Pan-fried foie gras: its roundness and smoky notes elevate warm foie gras
  • Game birds: pheasant, partridge
  • Pressed cheeses: Comté, Emmental

Gewurztraminer - Exoticism and Spice

  • Aged Munster: the most famous and unsurpassable pairing in Alsatian gastronomy
  • Foie gras: both dry and Vendanges Tardives versions
  • Spiced and exotic cuisine: curry, Indian cuisine
  • Exotic fruit desserts: mango, lychee

Muscat - Aperitif Freshness

  • Alsatian asparagus: the classic spring pairing
  • Fine cold cuts: cured ham, light terrines
  • Melons and fresh fruit

Pinot Noir - the Lesser-Known Alsatian Red

  • Light red meats: roast poultry, veal, spring lamb
  • Alsatian cold cuts: smoked pork shoulder, ham hock
  • Soft cheeses: young, lightly aged Munster, Brie
  • Light game: venison in season

Crémant d'Alsace - Festive Versatility

  • Aperitif: cheese puffs, light terrines
  • Seafood: oysters, seafood platter
  • Light desserts: fruit tart, sorbet

Summary Table of Classic Pairings

  • Choucroute: dry Riesling
  • Flammekueche: Sylvaner or Pinot Blanc
  • Aged Munster: Gewurztraminer
  • Foie gras: Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardives
  • Coq au Riesling: Pinot Gris or fuller Riesling
  • Baeckeoffe: Pinot Blanc or fruity Riesling
  • Asparagus: dry Muscat
  • Aperitif: Crémant d'Alsace or Muscat
  • Fruit desserts: Vendanges Tardives or rosé Crémant

To deepen your discovery of the Alsatian vineyard and its 51 Grands Crus, see also our dedicated guide on the subject, as well as our beautiful illustrated book on the Alsace wine route.

 

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