Alsace. Where Pinot Rocks! You might be asking yourself what and where is an Alsace? Alsace is located between the borders of France and Germany which means it is influenced by both wine producing countries. Note the photo above and the three bottles that are slender in and representative of German-style bottling.

As you can see on the map, Alsace is in northeast France and has a wine route to rival many other appellations in France. The wine route consists of over 100 villages. It's a wine region I haven't ventured to but is on my radar to understand more of the variety of soils in the region.

For my discovery of Alsace I chose these four wines to taste:

Non-Vintage Albrecht Crémant Brut Rosé Tradition. I'm a bubbly lover and always hunt the hunt for a sparkling to make my palate sing. Crémants are a great value for the dollar, and the taste. Crémant can only be used for wines that have been made using the méthode champenoise. A little wine geek 101. Méthode Champenoise require a secondary fermentation in the bottle that the wine will actually be produced in.

2015 Paul Blanck Pinot Blanc. This is one of my go-to wines for Thai food. I love Asian cuisine and this wine is a great pairing option. It has a slight sweet note. Notice, I did not say it was a sweet wine. The hint of sweet balances the spice of Thai cuisine. I've also paired it with Indian butter chicken and it has been a frequent repeat wine pairing.

2012 Domaine Bott-Geyl, Points Cardinaux Métiss (Pinot Blanc, Pinot Auxerrois, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir vinified as white wine). This wine was interesting to taste due to the complexity of the blending and the addition of Pinot Noir skins being removed so it doesn't become a red wine. Tasting this remind me of why I love wine. It's the feeling when you think you know something and know absolutely nothing. It was everything I wanted it a wine to be - fun, approachable, well-priced, and very drinkable.

2015 Andre Scherer Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir outside of certain regions in France, doesn't get looked at often in my opinion as being a real contender, but this Alsatian beauty reminded me of why Pinot Noir is so versatile. It's approachable, pairs well with food, and worth taking a gander. This Pinot Noir makes me understand my dear friend Melanie's love of the grape.

Please join our chat on Twitter. We love visitors and happily chat and answer questions. Simply tune in to the #winophiles hashtag on Twitter this Saturday, June 16 at 10am CDT. You can also check out the #AlsaceRocks hashtag for more Alsace fun during and after the chat. Here's a list of great Alsace wine suggestions from our Winophiles

Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles shares "A Palette of Pinots - The Hues of Alsace"
Martin at Enofylz Wine Blog shares "Pinot d'Alsace...Yes Please!"
Rupal at Syrah Queen shares “Rockin Alsace With Pinots”
Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm shares "Alsace Rocks the Summer Grilling Scene"
Jeff at Food Wine Click! shares "Alsace Wines in the American Kitchen"
Lauren at The Swirling Dervish shares "Alsatian Temptation: Wine from the Vosges Mountains in France"
Jane at Always Ravenous shares "Tips and Recipes for Alsace Pairings"
Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares "Alsace Pairing Challenge? Accepted!"
Olivier at In Taste Buds We Trust shares "Taking Gewürztraminer to a Higher Level"
Michelle at Rockin Red Blog shares "Getting Dirty with Alsace Riesling"
Payal at Keep the Peas shares “Alsace: A Geologist’s Dream”
Jill at L'Occasion shares "A Riesling Experience: Nuanced Terroirs of Alsace"
Liz at What's in that Bottle shares "All in for Alsace Riesling"
David at Cooking Chat shares "Pork and Cabbage Skillet with Riesling from Alsace"
Gwen at Wine Predator shares "Alsace Rocks 4 Riesling With Fondue!"