Wine Education: Edelzwicker

Wine Tasting at all FOUR locations

Taste Schreyer Edezwicker at all four of our locations this Saturday, 
July 20th from 11am-4pm.

(each store will also have other wines out to taste)

A little more education: We are going to try to feature either a grape or a wine region each week at our stores. We will give you some background information on the grape or region and feature a wine that highlights what we are featuring. We will taste that wine on Saturday at all four of our locations. We will post it here in our blog and send it out in our emails - click here to sign up for our emails

We have started a new label "Education" that you can hit to read all the education articles (see the right column under the heading "labels".

Edelzwicker

Most wines in Alsace are made from a single grape like its long lived Riesling and Gewurztraminer, in fact Alsace was the first appellation in France to put the grape on the label.     But Alsace,  also has a long tradition of field blends. The term Edelzwicker is often used to designate any blended wines of AOC Alsace white grape varietals, without indicating the percentages in the composition. The different grape varieties may be vinified together or separately. Historically, these different varietals came from the same parcel. Originally called “Zwicker” (blend), the prefix Edel (noble) was added to mark the presence of noble grape varieties (in Alsace the noble varietals consist of Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and  Gewürztraminer) chosen to replace mass-produced grape varieties. Come taste one of our favorite and most versatile white wines.

2011 Schreyer Alsace Edelzwicker....$13.99 50% Pinot Blanc, 20% Pinot Gris,
20% Sylvaner, 10% GewurztraminerTasting Notes: Since understanding what the grape varieties in this blend contribute to this wine greatly helps in its appreciation, here is a breakdown of the grapes, and the general characteristics they add to this wine. Pinot Blanc - is a crisp, bright grape variety that gives the wine a hint of peach and citrus fruit flavors. Pinot Gris - adds structure, body, and richness, it also imparts rich apricot fruit flavors. Sylvaner - is a lighter-bodied grape variety that brings a subtle earthiness to the wine. Gewurztraminer - gives the wine its floral nose, and adds notes of tropical fruit (lychee) and spice to the wine. The Schreyer Edelzwicker is a fun, easy-drinking wine that makes an excellent aperitif. Its wonderful aromatics and bright fruit make it a perfect match for fish, poultry, and Asian cuisine.