From: Eguisheim, Alsace, France
Varietals: 70% Auxerrois (Pinot Auxerrois), 30% Pinot Blanc
Tasting Notes: This wine presents a fresh, dry profile with refined floral notes. It is soft and delicate on the palate, offering a pleasing balance of freshness and suppleness, highlighted by a lively acidity. Dominant flavors of apple, apricot, and pear contribute to its bone-dry finish.
Pairing: Alsatian Pinot Blanc wines pair wonderfully with various dishes, enhancing the flavors of both seafood and poultry. Enjoy this wine with lighter foods such as flaky fish, deep-fried calamari, panko-crusted fish, savory prawn cakes, chicken, and pasta. It also complements poultry and white meats, especially in rich sauces. For cheese lovers, the wine pairs beautifully with nutty Alpine-style cheeses. In the realm of salads, it shines alongside those with creamy dressings, including classic Caesar salad. Alsatian gastronomy pairs perfectly with traditional dishes like tarte flambée and onion pie. Additionally, this wine pairs well with hearty dishes such as potatoes au gratin, pork schnitzel, wieners, and wursts. It is particularly good with Asian cuisines.
Thai Shrimp Cakes
By Molly O'Neill
About. The story of the Beyer family and their vineyard stretches back to 1580. For 14 generations, the Beyer family has cultivated and transmitted their profound love for wine, creating a legacy deeply entwined with the history of Alsatian viticulture. This enduring legacy, deeply rooted in the land of Eguisheim, is preserved in meticulously kept archives, documents, and notebooks that form the living memory of their wine estate. These historical treasures, written in Old French and Old German, chronicle the family's journey and their vineyard in Eguisheim.
The Eguisheim vineyard, located at the northern tip of the Rouffach-Guebwiller fracture field where the Vosges and Rhine faults nearly meet, benefits from unique geological conditions. The significant tectonic discharges over short west-east distances create necessary alluvial cones with a limestone component. Limestone is essential for crafting great wines, imparting the finesse, delicacy, and touch of salinity that are highly sought after. Although Eguisheim is a mosaic of terroirs, the Beyer family’s plots are primarily on limestone hillsides.
The Beyer family has historically been well established in the Pfersigberg and Eichberg Grands Crus, which now represent a third of their planted areas. Adjacent to these are the Premiers Crus Hohrain, Sundel, and Saint Jacques, each revealing its unique character through organic farming. The estate's vines benefit from exceptional weather conditions due to the Vosges massif, which blocks clouds from the west and creates a microclimate. As a result, Eguisheim, at the foot of the Trois Châteaux, is one of the driest vineyards in France, receiving around 500mm of water per year.
Wine Notes: Christian Beyer's Les Traditions Pinot Blanc is crafted from a blend of 70% Auxerrois (Pinot Auxerrois) and 30% Pinot Blanc, a combination commonly labeled as Pinot Blanc in Alsace. Designed to be fresh and enjoyed young, this wine showcases the true varietal character of Alsatian grapes. The harvested grapes undergo a slow and gentle pressing, followed by juice settling and a relaxed, extended fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The wine then ages on the lees in the tank for several months, enhancing its complexity. Produced sustainably and in conversion to organic farming, the vines grow in clay and limestone soils, with an average age of 10-25 years and a yield of 60 hl/ha, averaging a production of 36,000 bottles.
