Alsace: Joseph Cattin Pinot Noir

Alsace is unique among the French wine regions due to its German influences, which play an equal role in sculpting the area's language, traditions - and even its wines. Many of its slopes face east, benefiting from plenty of sunlight, as well as a very special variety of 'terroir' made up of granite, limestone, clay, loam, and volcanic soils. Alsace shares the River Rhine with Germany as a common border. Its summers are hot and sunny, and it is the driest region in France after Roussillon in the south.

The principal appellation of the Alsace region in north-eastern France, Alsace AOC covers the majority of its wine production. It is best known for aromatic white wines, chiefly Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Muscat, though Pinot Blanc, Sylvaner, and the red Pinot Noir are also permitted. Unusually for France, the wines are typically labelled by grape variety rather than by place. Styles range from bone-dry to lusciously sweet, with a characteristic freshness and purity of fruit that reflects the region's sunny, dry climate and varied terroir.