Dear <<First Name>>,
As a wine-growing region, Alsace stands apart from the rest of France.
Some 25 million years ago, what was the Alsace Plain collapsed leaving a rift with the Vosges Mountains on the west, the Black Forest on the east, and the Rhine in the middle – so the climate and geology of the area is determined by these factors, and there is a real mosaic of soils. The mountains act as a shelter from wind and rain, and the climate is therefore dry and sunny – although the Alsatian vineyards are among the most northerly in France, it’s actually the driest place in the country after Perpignan. The average rainfall in Colmar for instance, is only 500 millimetres per year – which is less than that in Jerez in Spain!
And Alsace was the last major French wine-producing region to become part of the Appellation Controlée system – only doing so in 1962.
The Cave Vinicole de Hunawihr is a co-op based in the heart of the Grand Cru area of Alsace. It was founded in 1954 – the first co-operative in Alsace, and the third in the whole of France! Today they have 110 members with 200 hectares of vineyards, and produce an extensive range of wines, many of which have been awarded gold medals in major wine competitions. The winery was built in the 1950’s by the founding vignerons, who worked in the vineyards by day and on the building by night. The resulting winery is still in use today, creating the opulent wines that Alsace is so famous for. We are delighted to offer you a selection of these aromatic, floral and spicy wines – a flavour and style that are unmistakably Alsatian!
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