The other Alsatian whites — and the rarest wine in the cellar

Published 5 months ago • 1 min read

Hello, Reader,

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We stay in Alsace this week.

​The Other Pinots: Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and the Full Alsatian Picture​

Last week was Riesling — the grape that defines the region's reputation, the wine that most people mean when they say "Alsace." This week is about what surrounds it: Pinot Blanc, which is quietly the most-drunk white in the region itself, and Pinot Gris, which is richer and spicier and built for a different kind of meal entirely.

And at the far end of the spectrum: the Sélection de Grains Nobles. We touched on it in the levels of sweetness post last week. This week it gets its own full exploration — what noble rot actually is, how SGN is made, why a single picker might produce enough fruit for one bottle in an entire day, and what it tastes like when you finally open one.

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Today's regional post is on the blog now: The Other Pinots: Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and the Full Alsatian Picture​

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It covers the full picture — Pinot Blanc as the everyday wine, Pinot Gris as the food wine, and a preview of where the week is heading. Tuesday brings the detailed posts: both grapes in depth, and a full guide to SGN. Thursday is roasted pork with apples and onions alongside Alsatian Pinot Gris — a combination that is deeply regional and shows the dry wine at its practical best. Plus a note on SGN and blue cheese for anyone who wants to go further.

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If you have a bottle of Alsatian Pinot Gris sitting somewhere, this is the week to open it. If you don't, any Pinot Gris — Alsatian or otherwise — gives you something to taste against this week's context.

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~ Anne 🍷

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P.S. Our community — Expand Your Palate: One Sip at a Time — is where the conversation about both grapes is already starting. Come tell us what you've tried.

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Wine isn’t just something you drink. It’s something that changes everything it touches. But most people never experience it that way. They choose a bottle. They hope it works. And if it does, they don’t always know why. Inside Expand Your Palate, I teach you how to actually experience wine differently—so you can notice what’s happening, understand what you like, and start to see how wine works with food, not just alongside it. If you’ve ever: had a wine you loved but couldn’t recreate the experience, felt like pairing advice didn’t quite work, or found yourself defaulting without knowing why - you’re exactly who this is for.