I am truly becoming a big fan of all the Crémant wines that Alsace produces. This one from Domaine Mittnach Freres is brought in by Skurnik. It’s a blend of 60% Pinot Auxerrois, 10% Pinot Blanc, 10% Riesling, 10% Pinot Gris, and 10% Pinot Noir. White Cremant D’Alsace tends to be a blend but the rosés are made from Pinot Noir exclusively. The wine is made from old vines and is both organic and biodynamic. It fits perfectly with today’s French Winophiles theme.

Domaine Mittnacht is a family-run concern. and  was created in 1963. They have 23 hectares of vineyards in Hunawihr, Ribeauvillé and Mittelwihr. They were certified organic in 1999 and biodynamic in 2013– among the first in Alsace.  Their winery includes some very old vines that are in the Grand Cru area of Rosacker. With an average Suggested Retail Price or SRP of $22, it’s a very good deal for a special celebration or a special night home that needs bubbles and lift – everyday as far as I am concerned.

The winery had a three-fold goal when moving to more natural methods – providing consumers with a healthy bottle of wine, helping the vines to naturally defend themselves against disease and preserving their terroir. They write on their website that after using the biodynamic calendar and preparations to help the health of the roots and encourage photosynthesis in the plants that they are more convinced than ever about their choices.

While most people who know me, think of me as an Italophile, the truth is long before I fell in love with Italy, I was a Francophile. I even majored in French in college and considered becoming a French professor so these virtual trips to France through French wines make me very happy. I am also in the process of studying for the French Wine Scholar exam. It is very challenging but also incredibly informative. I highly suggest it for those who want to do a deep dive into French wines.

Crémant D’Alsace is  made in the traditional method with secondary fermentation done in the bottle rather than in autoclave or tank. Many regions of France produce their own Crémant wines. In terms of price, these wines are all imminently affordable and they should be on everyone’s minds as a possible alternative to more expensive ones.

I drank this one in late December to celebrate the holidays and it was greatly appreciated.  White fruits, floral notes, and great acidity made it sing in my mouth and I paired it with my favorite apertif foods. It was also very elegant and the perlage (bubbles) were fine and numerous – a sign of quality.  The grapes that go into Crémant d’Alsace  are picked early to retain good acidity and stylistically the wines are bright and fresh. A number of grapes can be used in the production of Crémant d’Alsace  including Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Riesling and Chardonnay. Crémant d’Alsace comes in  a brut or a rosé version.

Biodymanics is such an interesting topic and it is very complicated, I was glad when I saw it was the subject for this month’s grouo. I have often found that the calendar of root, fruit, flower or leaf days does correspond to my better tasting days. I find the French winemakers to be the most advanced using these concepts but it is interesting that you find producers throughout the world who make these same choices.

Please join us this month as the French #Winophiles learn what biodynamic wine has to offer. Our posts go live this Friday and Saturday and we’ll be chatting about what we learn this Saturday Jan 19 from 8-9am Pacific time. Here’s a preview about what we will be discussing.

• • Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla whips up “Learning about Biodynamic Wines + M.Chapoutier Wines with Some Cross-Cultural Pairings.”
  • Jill from L’OCCASION shares “Lessons From A Biodynamic Winemaker In France”
  • Wendy at A Day In The Life On The Farm reminds us about “Eating and Drinking Responsibly”
  • Deanna from Asian Test Kitchen tells us how “French Biodynamic Wines get Crabby.”
  • Jeff from foodwineclick discusses “Our Biodynamic French Friends”
  • Kat from Bacchus Travel & Tours tells us how “The #Winophiles Unlock the Mystery of Biodynamic Wines”
  • Jane cooks things up at Always Ravenous and shares “Why You Should Give Biodynamic Wines a Taste.”
  • Lynn from Savor the Harvest shares “ Biodynamic Bordeaux- Nobody’s Perfect But The Wine Is Fabulous.”
  • Susannah from Avvinare joins us with “Biodynamic Wines Crémant D’Alsace“
  • Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles entices us with “Fabulous French Biodynamic Wines and some exquisite pairings”
  • Host Gwendolyn on Wine Predator presents “Still and Sparkling: 2 Biodynamic Wines from Alsace, 2 from Rhone for #Winophiles.”