For the Stenay traveler.

Alsace

Situated on the lower eastern slopes of the Vosges mountains, in the Rhine valley between Strasbourg and Mulhouse, the Alsace vineyard is rather different from any other French wine growing area. Like theregion of Alsace itself, the wine culture here is steeped in a Germanic tradition, producing mostly dry or fruity white wines, the most popular being Riesling, Sylvaner and the very fruity Gewurztraminer.
The rules of Appellation contrôlée - and more recently of Appellation Protégée (AOP) are not applied in the same way in Alsace as in the rest of France. In Alsace, wines are produced under a simple "Alsace" appellation, after which the next most important element to be indicated, and the most visible word on the label, is the grape variety or "cépage", Sylvaner, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Tokay, Pinot or a few others. Smaller areas do not have their own appellations, though with many Alsace wines, the name of the village or vineyard from which it comes will also be indicated. See also Vendanges tardives.
Lorraine, also in north east France, produces mostly VDQS white wines, in the Meuse and the Moselle.

Alsace Grand Cru Appellation

Since 1983, a Grand Cru system has been in use in Alsace, covering the most prestigious, relatively small vineyards of the region.
This refers to wines produced according to stricter levels of quality, notably vineyard origin, vine yields and natural ripeness levels. With certain exceptions, only the 4 "noble" grape types - Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat and Pinot Gris - may be used and must originate from one of the 51 vineyards classified as Grands Crus.
The grape, the vintage and the named vineyard are all shown on the label. As much as the grape variety, it is the terroir that gives its unique individual character to each AOC Alsace Grand Cru wine. The wines are more expensive than basic Alsace AOC wines and are usually higher in quality, with great aging potential.
Some famous Grands Crus: Kastelberg, Altenberg de Bergheim, Geisberg, Rosaker, Furstentum, Schoenenbourg, Schlossberg, Hengst, Sonnenglanz, Rangen.

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