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Describe the transitions of Alsace between Germany and France
- 378: Alemanni introduce "German" language
- 496: Clovis forms France
- 870: Alsace incorporated into East Francia ("Germany") when Europe divided
- 1648: Alsace incorporated into France after the Thirty Years' War
- 1870: Alsace reclaimed by Prussia ("Germany") after the Franco-Prussian War
- 1918: Alsace returned to France after World War I
- 1940: Alsace occupied by Germany during World War II
- 1945: Alsace returned to France after World War II
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Was Alsace part of France or Germany the longest?
- Germany by 137 years as of 2021
- France 694 years: 496-870 (374 years), 1648-1870 (222 years), 1918-1940 (22 years), 1945-2021 (76 years)
- Germany 831 years: 870-1648 (778 years), 1870-1918 (48 years), 1940-1945 (5 years)
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When was the vine first cultivated in Alsace?
- 58 BC: Romans incorporated Alsace into the provice of Germania Superior.
- By the 2nd century Alsace wine was being shipped via the Mosel and Rhine rivers.
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When were the Romans expelled from Alsace?
378: The Alemanni ("all men") introduce their Germanic language.
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When were the Alemanni expelled from Alsace?
496: The Francs incorporated Alsace under Merovingian King Clovis
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How did strong ties between church and state begin?
King Clovis converted to Christianity when Bishop Remi (of Reims) blessed a cask of wine saying that as long as there was wine in the barrel, Clovis would be victorious.
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When did the Merovingian dynasty end?
752: Pope Zachary deposed King Childeric III and introduced the Carolingians.
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Which Carolingian was crowned Emperor of Western Europe by Pope Leo III?
850: Charlemagne ("Charles the Great")
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When did Alsace first fall under German rule?
870: After the death of Louis le Pieux, son of Charlemagne, Europe was divided between his 3 sons. Alsace was incorporated into East Francia, the eastern section of the Carolingian Empire. The Kingdom of Germany developed out of East Francia in the late 11th century.
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How many villages produced wine in Alsace during the Middle Ages?
The number grew from 160 villages in the late 9th century to 430 in the Middle Ages. Alsace was the largest and most renowned of all the vineyards in Germany.
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Where did Alsace sell its wine during the Middle Ages?
The port city of Strasbourg shipped hundreds of barrels to the Netherlands and Frankfurt.
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Describe the 2 types of wine produced in Alsace during the Middle Ages
- Trinkwein: table wine/piquette (pomace and water) for the producer
- Kaufwein: wine good enough to sell (both new and aged)
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When were the first wine regulations in Alsace?
During the 14th-16th centuries, when the region was prosperous (half timber houses were built) and wine was taxed. The grapes were Riesling, Traminer, and Muscat.
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When did Europe grow cold leading to a shortage of wine since grapes didn't ripen?
1570: Alsace tried to limit wine exports during the last 30 years of the 16th century to provide wine for its native populace.
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T or F? High vine-training methods were used to avoid frost during three decades of cold weather in Alsace during the Renaissance.
True: They used stakes of oak, chestnut and acacia.
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T or F? A large variety of grapes were co-planted in Alsace during the Middle Ages
True: The wine produced was a white blend called "Zwicker". Wines from Bergheim, Riquewihr, and Ribeauvillé were prized.
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When did a steady demand for red wine begin in Alsace?
16th century: unscrupulous vignerons used blueberries to pigment their white wine
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Was the 17th century good or bad for Alsace?
Bad: War (96 years of war, including the Thirty Years' War), famine, pestilence, and weather (56 bad vintages, 26 average vintages, and 18 good vintages).
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Describe the Thirty Years War
1618-1648: Began between Protestans and Catholics but became a war between the Hapsburg and Bourbon dynasties; Bourbon won.
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When did Alsace fall under French rule?
1648: Due to the Treaty of Westpahlia, which ended the Thirty Years' War. Duties on Alsace wines (no longer German) increased significantly and Switzerland became their primary export market.
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When did Alsace vineyards expand from hillsides to the lower plains?
18th century: Trees were felled for vine stakes leading to a shortage of both grain and wood. By the end of the 18th century, vignerons of Alsace abandoned the expensive Chambrettes trellising method (labor and timber) for the Échalas method.
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When did a royal edict mandate that only land unable to grow other crops be planted to the vine?
- 1731: However it was ignored
- 1830s: Regulations again prohibited the co-plantation of vines and fruit trees. Laws also forbade blending of grapes grown on hillsides (high quality) and plains (low quality) to improve the reputation of the entire region.
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How did the French Revolution (1789) impact Alsace?
Church properties were seized
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How did the Napoleonic Wars (1802-1815) impact Alsace?
- During: Area under vine grew to slake the thirst of soldiers
- After: Vineyards replaced with other crops due to wine glut, increased tariffs (Germany and Switzerland), and expansion of the railway system.
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When did several champagne houses moved to Alsace?
1860: to circumvent duties levied by Germany
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Why did the Franco-Prussian War (1870) start?
Prussia wanted to unify the North German Confederation with the independent southern German states; France lost and Alsace was handed over to Prussia.
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Why was much Alsace wine called artifical after the Franco-Prussian War?
Germans allowed wine to be made from lees, raisins, tartaric acid, glycerin, sugar, and water. This led vignerons to focus on quantity rather than quality. Grapes were harvested too early and "corrected" by adding sugar water.
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What ravaged Alsace vineyards during the last three decades of the 19th century?
Low prices (due to focus on quantity rather than quality), bad weather, pests (phylloxera), and fungus.
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When was shipping wine in barrel replaced by bottle?
Start of the 20th century
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Why did ampelographer, Philippe Chrétien Oberlin, introduce Vitis riparia to Alsace at the close of the 19th century?
- Rootstock was phylloxera-resistant so Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Blanc could be grafted onto it
- Produce hundreds of high-yielding hybrids, viewed as a cure-all to phylloxera
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Name 2 common names for Vitis Riparia
- River Bank Grape
- Frost Grape
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T or F? The Treaty of Versailles allowed Alsace to export wine to Germany without duty for five years
True: afterwards, the 1936 national wine festival was held in Colmar to promote Alsace wines
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Why did Alsace have a difficult time in the French market?
Widespread plantation of low-quality, high-yielding hybrid vines which were more expensive than wines from Southern France, Germany, and Algeria
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T or F? 30% of Alsace vineyards were planted to hybrids in 1941
True: Although France encouraged vignerons to rip out hybrid vines they couldn't afford to during the Great Depression. Germany outlawed further planting of hybrids during their occupation.
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What convinced Alsace vignerons to rip out their hybrid vines?
In 1949, a commune would lose the right to produce wines under the vin d'Alsace AOC if any hybrid vines were found within the commune
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When was the Alsace AOC ratified?
1962: it took 17 years to ratify after the end of WWII when the AOC was defined
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Describe the vintages in Alsace in the second half of the 1900s
- 1950s: only 2 bad years
- 1960s: only 1 bad year
- 1970s: 5 exceptional vintages
- 1980s: only 1 bad year
- 1988, 1989, 1990: magnificent string of vintages
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What grape varieties did post-WWII Alsace focus on to increase wine quality?
- Riesling
- Pinot (Blanc, Gris, Noir)
- Muscat
- Gewurztraminer
- Sylvaner
- Chasselas
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T or F? Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Sylvaner, and Pinot Blanc represented 79% of the area under vine in Alsace by 1980
True: they replaced older varieties such as Muller Thurgau, Pinot Meunier, and Knipperlé
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The CIVA was formed in Alsace to consolidate reconstructive efforts after WWII
True: their mission was to develop the wine region, expand its market, and improve its image
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T or F? The INAO mandated that all Alsace vineyards established on the plains be ripped out and that all new vineyards must be planted on the hillsides
True
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When did wine cooperatives appear in Alsace?
At the close of World War II: The first appeared in Colmar followed by Benwihr, Sigolsheim, Hunawihr, Eguisheim, and Dambach.
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