The Alsace Region of France – A Glass of Hugel & A Bite of Cheese

After Burgundy, I decided to head back up Northeast for a trip to the Alsace Region. The Alsace region runs up against Germany and the Germanic influence is very much apparent.  It appears what Alsace is most known for are their Riesling – I found a great site, just dedicated to Riesling, and it mentioned that the Rhine Valley is the birthplace of the wine.

The cuisine in this region is totally up my alley – sausages, potatoes and those big, bready pretzels #yum.  I mean, imagine a spicy sausage and a glass of Riesling.  I don’t know much about wine pairing, but I know that would taste good.

I was super stoked to try a Riesling, and ready a great article in the New York Times by Eric Asimov, that outlined some of the best from the region.  I was on the prowl to drink an official Alsace Riesling and make a Coq Au Riesling – a recipe I had found on this great blog called The Second Lunch (a great blog, by the way).

But alas, my normal wine sources did not have the wines I was looking to drink.

However, I did stumble upon a wonderful gem – Gentil Hugel 2011.

A beautiful honey colored wine that gave off fruity aromas of white grapes (and a touch of honey).  The palette was a tart citrus, with an after taste of the white grapes.

In light of the Thanksgiving holiday coming up, I opted for a light meal of baguette and cheese (I wish I was able to get the official French Munster, but instead I settled for American Muenster and some goat cheddar). It was actually a delicious combination.

I drank my wine and thought of summer, and imagined what it would be like to stroll through Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle and the Cathedrale de Strasbourg.  Soaking in the beauty of history and amazing architecture.  And after a day of viewing the sites, settling down for a meal of Choucroute garnie and drinking amazing wines. Ah, to live in France….

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I have to be honest, I originally started out my journey thinking I could easily cruise through France in one month – but I stand corrected.

There are so many great wines and so many different regions in France, I couldn’t possibly skip any.  Plus, this is a virtual tour, so I can take as long as I wish. Right?

So, where am I off to next: Bordeaux.  I am excited for coconut macaroons (the best cookie in the world, in my humble opinion) and excellent wines.