Mitte (Andlau–Dambach)

The middle section of the Route des Vins in the Bas-Rhin runs from Mittelbergheim and Andlau via Nothalten and Blienschwiller to Dambach-la-Ville and Châtenois. The vineyards lie at the foot of the Vosges on hills that include grand cru sites such as Kastelberg, Wiebelsberg, Moenchberg, Muenchberg and Frankstein.

The geology is particularly varied: schist at the Kastelberg, granite at the Frankstein and sandstone at the Wiebelsberg. The climate is semi-continental and dry, with the Vosges holding back rain; the varying soils give the wines a wide stylistic range.

Riesling here, above all on schist and granite, is austere, mineral and long-lived. Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris yield voluminous wines, and Sylvaner has a long tradition: the Zotzenberg in Mittelbergheim is the only grand cru approved for Sylvaner.