2007 René Sparr One

When we Americans think of France, it is often with disdain for our political disagreements on the world stage, or perhaps with enthusiasm for another Lance Armstrong victory in the Tour de France bicycle race, or even images of Paris and the beautiful architecture of places like Notre Dame de Paris that have survived centuries of strife and conflict yet remain unblemished in their splendor. Then there are those of us who when presented with thoughts of the country of France, immediately flash on the various regions and wines the country produces before we ever get to the other stuff.

France uses a system of identifying wines by the region they came from and the region is identified by a designated Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée or AOC. This system is not limited to just wines but is used for other agricultural products in France including cheeses and butters. However, we're going to focus on just the wines here and in this case, just one AOC, Alsace.

Alsace is a region of France that is on the eastern border of the country, right against Germany. The grapes grown there are very similar to those grown in Germany with Riesling and Gewürztraminer being two of the most popular varieties. However, the AOC Alsace is known for producing wines from these grapes that are far less sweet than their German neighbors even though that seems to be changing. When you hear of someone talking about a wine done in an Alsatian style, it means that it is light and crisp with almost no sweetness left, even if it comes from grapes known for making sweet wines.

The wine named One from René Sparr is exactly the kind of wine you expect when you think of a wine done in an Alsatian style except that this is a blend rather than a wine from only one varietal. This wine is a blend of 28% Muscat, 39% Sylvaner, 9.5% Pinot Blanc, 16% Riesling, and 7.5% Klevener de Heiligenstein (an Alsatian designation of the Savagnin grape). (Author's Note: You can get caught up in the history of grapes, where they came from, who brought them to where, from where and so on. These people are called Ampelographers and it is a specialized form of botany.) This wine is a pale yellow in color but not so pale as to be almost colorless. When you first breath in this wine, there is a light floral scent and then a big blast of wildflower honey. You really expect this wine to be sweet but that is totally wrong. There is a light acidity up front with a hint of honey and then a mineral finish that doesn't linger. I really liked this wine, it would be a nice diversion on a hot afternoon or a great accompaniment for a summer time picnic.