Alsace

Regional appellation in the Alsace wine-growing region in France for crémant wines (bottle-fermented sparkling wines made by the méthode champenoise). This type of wine has been produced since the 19th century, but has only been classified as an AC since 1976. The permitted grape varieties are Auxerrois Blanc, Chardonnay (permitted only for sparkling wine in this region), Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir (for blanc de noirs) and Riesling ,which is rarely used for this purpose. Well-known producers include Becker, Bestheim, Heimberger, Rieflé, Willm and Wolfberger.