The Alsace has a total cultivated area of around 340,000 hectares, half of which is dedicated to large-scale cereal and oil crop production or pastureland. Furthermore, the surface area of cultivated land is on the increase. Agriculture in the Alsace draws on a semi-continental climate, with hot summers (the Alsace regions posts some of the highest sunshine-hour figures for their latitude) and cold winters, usually with plenty of snowfall. The relatively low precipitation makes for good fruit and vegetable production and is ideal for wine-growing. In the Alsace, the per-head yield from agriculture is higher than the national average.

The Alsace winelands (96% white wine) stretch over 170 km or so of the eastern foothills of the Vosges, from Thann to Marlenheim, plus the Wissenbourg pocket. Around 16,000 is devoted to viniculture, 15,300 of which for AOC production (reaching 1.2 million hectolitres per year). Wine represents 40% of Alsatian agricultural production, 19% of French national AOC white wine production (excluding sparkling wines), and 38 million bottles on the export market. The hot, dry (low precipitation), sun-drenched Alsatian climate is ideally suited to excellent grape maturation. All the Alsatian wines figure under one of three ‘AOC’ controlled origin labels: - AOC Alsace: 78% of the region’s output. Wines named AOC Alsace are generally produced from the big seven varieties: Sylvaner, Pinot blanc, Riesling, Muscat d’Alsace, Pinot gris, Gewurztraminer and Pinot noir (which is the only variety produced as reds or rosés).

Alsatian wines are always marketed in the regulatory emblematic tall, tapering bottles. Riesling, which covers 20% of the region’s vineyards, is a long-maturing variety that gives a dry, racy, fruit wine that is elegantly perfumed with mineral, floral notes. Excellent vin de garde (for ageing), it rates among the world's best white varieties. Pinot blanc (20% of the region’s vineyards), is soft, white, fresh and fairly full-bodied thirst-quencher. It is one of the ingredients in the only Alsatian blended wine, Edelzwicker. Gewurztraminer (from the German gewürz: spicy), which covers 20% of the region’s vineyards, is the most famous of the Alsace wines. Pungent, heady, and intensely aromatic, it develops rich fruity (likened to mango and lychee), rose-flowered, and spicy scents.

The Alsace produces 40% of all French beer (12 million hectolitres), making it the nation’s leading brewing region, hence the importance of its hop plantations. Over the last decade, a number of brands have fought back to the forefront, selling quality ales with strong identity. Ale, mainly pale ale, white beer, lager, dark ale, ‘Bière de mars’ (spring beer), Christmas beer, ‘amer-bière’ (a bitter), remains a staunch favourite, particularly in the Bas-Rhin. The first Alsatian brewery was set up next to Strasbourg cathedral back in 1260. The beer industry had its heyday in the second half of the nineteenth century, driven by technical advances made in malting and brewing. From the 200-odd operating at the time, there are now only a dozen breweries left (all in the Bas-Rhin).

The exceptional wealth and quality of Alsatian cuisine is well worth its reputation, and the region has bred thirty-odd Michelin-starred chefs (including Emile Yung and Antoine Westermann at Strasbourg, Marc Haeberlin at Illhauser, Hubert Maetz at Rosheim...). Alsatian cuisine is a fine reflection of the region, blending traditional cooking based on local produce with the audacity and inventiveness of today’s contemporary gastronomy. Winstubs (literally ‘wine rooms’) are the kind of warm, friendly taverns serving authentic local dishes that so typify Alsatian restaurants. The region boasts several widely-renowned dishes and products. Choucroute, the hallmark of Alsatian cooking, is cooked, prepared and served in various ways, all characteristic of their home region. It is generally served with cold meats (frankfurters, liver sausage, ham shank, bacons, pork chops, etc.), and sometimes with goose or duck. A salmon choucroute is an authentic ancient dish in Alsatian cuisine. Goose foie gras, an absolute must-try in Alsace gastronomy, is eaten warm with grapes and pippin apples at Christmas.

Adrien Zeller
(President of the Alsace Regional Council)

«Close on 340,000 hectares, i.e. 41% of the Alsace region is agricultural land. Agriculture generates 2.2% of the region's GDP, and 4.4% of the region’s jobs depend on farming and the agrifoods business, which are essential to the region. Agriculture also strongly enhances our attractiveness and public image (landscapes, regional produce, events, etc.). Our region-led policy for action over the 2007-2013 period is: - to support the development of diversified, quality-driven sectors, while making sure that production meets quality specifications and is inspected by an independent certification body; - to support farming in the mountain areas, by creating value for traditional local produce in sectors where agriculture is struggling; - to develop the deployment of quality-driven policies by partnering farmers on organic certification and supporting the ‘Alsace Qualité’ initiative (‘Alsace Qualité’ is an association created by the Chamber of Agriculture to help different farming sectors implement consumer- and producer-validated specifications); - to promote the widespread implementation of environmentally-friendly farming practices (alternatives to plant-health agents, especially in the wine-growing sector). The gastronomic heritage of the Alsace is one of our primary concerns. It starts with a gastronomy anchored in regional culinary traditions: cold meat delicacies, winstubs, alcoholic beverages, fruit brandies, game, etc. There is also the fine-dining aspect. The Alsace is one of the regions that boasts the highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants. Marc Haeberlin at Illhaeusern, one of the oldest 3-stars restaurants in France, plus Le Crocodile in Strasbourg, and many others.

Antoine Boucomont
(Director of Le Delas – Rungis)

« The Alsace is an eminently gastronomic region boasting a wide range of traditional local produce (cold meats, pastries, pasta, cheese, beer, wine, delicatessen produce, and more) including some widely-reputed top-of-the-range specialities. All the products we deal in, including the famous choucroute in all its versions, are produced in the Alsace. Our Alsatian range covers a little over a hundred products. These products go out to two core customer segments: either butchers and delicatessen butchers, or restaurants and outside caterers. Alsace produce accounts for a little over 5% of our business. The Alsace region boasts a rich gastronomic heritage steeped in tradition, of which we are proud to be a cornerstone ».

Dany Moncouyoux
(Butcher, cold-meats and deli at Palaiseau Station – Essonne)

« In our store, you will find all the classic butchery and cold meat products, but we also stock a large number of specialties from the Alsace that we began selling in response to the Mad Cow scare. Together with my husband Christian, we decided to win back the customers lost to the scare. Since I’m actually from the Alsace, we launched with bæckeoffe, the classic Alsace casserole, and it was an instant hit. We now sell a hundred-odd products, all farmhouse-made in the Alsace. They are the kind of really tasty products that you won’t ever find in the supermarkets. We discovered our producers during our winter holidays in the Alsace. We are also registered purveyors of a range of kitchen tools manufactured in the Alsace. Ever since we registered on the Chaville Chamber of Commerce and Industry, customers have been flooding in, from all kinds of places ».

Jean-Nicolas Schaeffer
(President of the CIVA and Alsace-based producer-trader)

« I am an Alsace-based producer-trader and President of the Alsace Wine Trades Board. I grow wine on 20 hectares around Dalmach, where I produce a Frankstein grand cru used to make Gewurztraminer and Riesling. The Alsace vineyards, although not particularly extensive, are really top quality. The region boasts around 15,000 hectares of vineyard, producing 1.2 million hectolitres, i.e. 80 hectolitres per hectare. The Alsace in fact sells its entire production volumes. Wine, here, is not a job, it’s an art. Just follow the 120 km-long wine route from Harlenheim down to Thann, taking a detour to catch the Wissembourg pocket, and you’ll see why. There has been a consumer shift in Alsace wine. We are repositioning our brand image to quality criteria. Indeed, our strategy is axed towards flawless product quality. The specificity of the Alsace, and a key asset, is that we make particularly aromatic wines that are currently sought after, especially since in branding terms it is easy to understand our wines because the grape varieties double up as our appellations. The overall reputation of Alsace wines is further enhanced by the outstanding quality of the sparkling Crémant d’Alsace. The 2007 vintage is a huge success for Alsace wines, as the weather held enough to enable quality late harvests and pick from a fine selection of noble-rot berry. We’re lucky to have such a wonderful terroir… ».