Colmar & Kaysersberger Tal

The heart of Alsace lies in the Haut-Rhin département at the foot of the Vosges. The vineyards run in a narrow band along the slope above the Rhine plain from Bergheim and Ribeauvillé via Riquewihr, Kaysersberg and Turckheim to Eguisheim; Colmar lies in the middle. This section includes many grand cru sites, among them Schlossberg, Schoenenbourg, Sporen, Mambourg, Hengst, Brand, Eichberg and Pfersigberg.

The Vosges keep rain-bearing clouds from the west away, so Colmar is among the driest towns in France; summers are warm and sunny and the harvest often extends well into autumn. Because of the rift-valley faulting at the edge of the Vosges, geology changes over short distances: granite, limestone, marl and sandstone often lie only a few hundred metres apart.

Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris and Muscat form the basis of the wines, with Pinot Noir grown in small quantities. Alongside dry wines, Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles are made. Well-known houses include Trimbach in Ribeauvillé, Hugel in Riquewihr and Zind-Humbrecht in Turckheim.