Alsace top region to visit
according to Lonely Planet Guide
Alsace has been singled out as one of the hot regions in the world
to visit this year by the Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2010.
The annual Best in Travel guide aims to give "a collection of the
world's best journeys, destinations and experiences for the year
ahead" to "take travellers out of the ordinary". One of the
highlights of the guide is the Top 10 regions which brings Alsace
to the forefront.
Located on France's eastern border,
on the west bank of the Rhine river, Alsace is widely acclaimed as
one of the most beautiful and distinctive regions of France. It
received global recognition in 1988 when Unesco awarded
Strasbourg's Grand Ile the World Heritage status (the first time
this accolade was given to an entire city).
Lonely Planet describes
Alsace as a "mountainous, vine-ribboned region" and according to
the guide the "defining experience" would be "cycling among
vineyards and wine cellars along the rural Route du Vin d'Alsace
(Alsace Wine Route) one day and overdosing on city culture the
next."
The Guide recommends the
Fêtes du Vin (wine festivals) taking place in villages all
over Alsace during the summer, the "Chambres d'Hôte"
(B&Bs) in the wine country, the Winstubs (literally "wine
rooms", local wine bars also serving food) offering local
gastronomic specialities.
Wine tourism
Alsace has been a pioneer in wine
tourism in France with the development of the Wine Route which has,
over the past 50 years, contributed to the success of Alsace wines.
Famous for its exceptional natural beauty, the Wine Route leads
visitors across rows of undulating, vine-covered hills, and through
delightful quaint villages with narrow streets and charming
flower-decked houses.
Visitors can easily explore the heart of the vineyards, along one
of the 46 wine trails. Lined with countless signs posting maps and
information, each trail reveals the work of the winegrower, the art
of Alsace wine and the specific characteristics of each grape
variety.
Sheltered from oceanic influences by the Vosges mountains, Alsace
enjoys some of the lowest rainfall in France (just 400-500mm or
16-20 inches per year). It is blessed with a semi-continental
climate - sunny, warm and dry, which while offering a fantastic
advantage to tourists, also provides the perfect conditions for
winemaking as it encourages the slow, extended ripening of the
grapes, resulting in elegant, complex aromas and flavours.
With a very rich gastronomic heritage, Alsace has all the cards in
hand to make the perfect holiday destination. To get your share of
this "unforgettable experience" don't forget to place Alsace Wine
Route at the top of your destination list for 2010.
Notes to editors:
For further information, please
contact:
Sabine Cleizergues, Sopexa
(UK)
T: 020 7312 3641
E: sabine.cleizergues@sopexa.com
Foulques Aulagnon, CIVA
(France)
T: 00 33 3 89 20 16 20
E: foulques@civa.fr
W: www.alsacewines.co.uk
www.alsacewine.com
Alsace and its Wine
Route
The Alsace region is located in the North East corner of France.
Situated on the Vosgian foothills, at an altitude of 200 to 400m
the vineyards take maximum advantage of their exposure to the sun,
particularly as the vines are trained along high wires.
The Alsace Wine Route has become famous the world over for its
exceptional natural beauty, its simple course and for the instant
connection its visitors feel with the region and its growers. The
Alsace Wine Route winds its way from north to south, for more than
170 kilometres (106 miles) along the eastern foothills of the
Vosges.
Visitors can easily explore the heart of the vineyards, along
numerous vineyard paths, or wine trails, leading to the crest of
each slope, where signs explain the work of the winegrowers and the
diversity of the grape varieties grown. There are no fewer than 46
of these wine trails, winding their way through the heart of the
vines and the picturesque towns.
For a two-hour walk, at most, each wine trail offers a view of the
colours and flavours of Alsace, and a connection with the
personalities of the growers that bring them to life.
They are dotted of "winstubs" (local wine bars also serving food)
and tasting cellars which welcome visitors and communicate their
passion for wine.
For more information:
http://www.vinsalsace.com/en/tourism/tourism-rub707.html?lang=en
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