Alsace changes color! Land almost exclusively of whites, the region, like others in France, produces more and more orange wines. This is the colorful term chosen to evoke these white wines vinified like reds, that is to say with maceration of the grapes. How many are produced today? “Hard to say but it remains quite confidential”, we nuance to the association of winegrowers of Alsace (Ava). “Some started about ten years ago and for some time, others have been trying the experiment to see what happens, always on small volumes. »
The Moltès estate, in Pfaffenheim (Haut-Rhin), is one of them. “We started in 2019 after having tasted it with friends”, explains one of the two brothers, Mickaël. “We wanted to try new working methods and, why not, open up new markets. » All gropingly. They offer a single cuvée per harvest, ie “1,500 bottles out of our production of approximately 200,000. »
Very little therefore, also because orange wine is not so easy to appreciate… “The palate must be educated before tasting it. It’s really not for everyone”, summarizes Serge Dubs, voted best sommelier in the world in 1989. “I often warn customers before they taste. It’s particular. It is much less round than a traditional Alsatian wine. The tannic side is immediately more aggressive”, supports Régine Bannwarth, whose estate was one of the pioneers in the region “in 2011”. With a clean and very particular way of working.
“Those fond of novelties will test”
“We started with the Georgian method”, continues the one who manages the business with her brother. “We had traveled there several times and they use Qvevri [prononcer Kvevri], large terracotta jars. “They are buried and the grape juice just harvested, with the skins and sometimes even the stalks, macerates there for “about eight months”. The wine is then sold without being filtered, therefore with a slight deposit. “But we also produce it in stainless steel tanks! “says Régine Bannwarth, emphasizing the motivating side of “discovering a new wine structure. It’s not just a fad! »
Has this famous orange already found its audience? Yes and no. “Those fond of new things will try it out, but then perhaps look for another curiosity,” we answer Ava, without saying too much about the future of the product in Alsace. Mickaël Moltès is convinced that fashion has a future. “Young people have taken to IPA beer a lot and are used to more bitter tastes, with stronger tannins. Orange wine is part of this trend. Without forgetting its natural and allegedly more digestible side. “That, you have to see, tempers Serge Dubs. This is possible when the vinification has been perfect. A few years ago, that was rarely the case. But it’s getting better and better. »
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The proof, the Gewurztraminer Steinstück 2021 has just obtained a gold medal at the recent Mondial des Vins Blancs in Strasbourg. “An excellent wine, well structured, with a nice acidity, remembers the sommelier, who still works at the two-starred restaurant L’Auberge de l’Ill. It can give pleasure” beyond mere curiosity.