July 29th 2011 – Alsace-Rue du Vin

We were excited as we headed out this morning for what promised to be a scenic drive in an area quite different from that we had seen in France to date. This area, Alsace (pronounced Ell-sass), is heavily influenced by German culture although I’m sure they would adamantly say they are not German but rather Alsatians. They have specific customs and language but it is our understanding the language is being lost to the younger generation who are speaking French of course and many German as well.
As mentioned in prior writings, this area was occupied by Germany from the 1870s until post WWI and then again in 1940 by Hitler’s Germany. In some areas you could drive a few miles east and you would be across the border and not long NE and you would be in Heidelberg.
And so, the culture does feel very much like Germany as are the names of many villages and food items. For example Sauerkraut is a major menu item as is various pork products (parts). Local craft items in shop windows also were reminders of those seen in Germany.
The hotel staff advised us to drive north to Colmar on the motorway and work our way back to Strasbourg on the wine road. We decided to have lunch at Colmar prior to heading out on this much anticipated adventure and made sure to find a place we read would have authentic and homemade (Maison) sauerkraut. And so we chose a place recommended by Frommer, Chez Hansi which was housed in an old house dating to 1532 and the female staff wear dirndls. I was in heaven! I must say, however, I was a bit disappointed in the kraut. It seemed very mild and a bit watery but I am not a judge of authentic sauerkraut, only the ‘fresh’ that we buy in the US which has more flavor. John ordered an Onion Tart, something we had been noticing on menus, and he was very fond of it. If I can make any comparison it seemed less like a Quiche and more the texture of a flan. Following lunch we cut our time at Colmar finding it rather anti-climatic after Strasbourg. We were quite anxious to travel this 42 mile road that would take us through 60 villages. This area is covered with 50,000 acres of vineyards and provides jobs for 30,000 families.

So our adventure began! The wines produced in this area are considered to be excellent and are primarily of the white varieties with some Pinot Noirs. We limited our stops to two places, one being a little rustic spot and the other the larger version with a view. I was not feeling extremely well so did not want to drink wine, and not being a white wine drinker John gave the Pinots a bit of a try but was not impressed. Guess we will stick to our Williamette Valley Pinots from Oregon, they just can’t be beat!The main event for the afternoon was how picturesque and beautiful the villages were and the unbelievable flowers everywhere you looked. Each village seemed to be trying to outdo the next. I began to seriously think they had some kind of competition. Bridges were hung with huge flowering pots of assorted flowers, lamp posts, village squares and public gardens and of course individual window boxes on homes. In comparison to Normandy and Brittany where we were in awe of multi-colored Hydrangeas everywhere, here in Alsace it was Germaniums. As we rolled from one village to another we would be going along hillsides where the next village or more than one was visible with its red tile roofs dotted against the green of the rolling vineyards. The homes were brightly painted in salmons, aquas, mustards, greens, blues and lavenders. The colors and flowers seriously rivaled what we experienced in Wales and the English countryside. I couldn’t take enough pictures, and the number is surely second only to my beloved Norway with its amazing countryside.

We noticed many of the area crafts highlighted a white big billed bird which we later learned was a stork. Everything from children’s toys to slippers and t-shirts displayed this bird. As we came through one of the villages we noticed on top of the church steeple sat a huge bird’s nest so we quickly stopped to catch a picture only to realize there was a bird in the nest! A large, white big billed bird sure enough. Through research we learned the bird is in fact a Stork and were the subject of many children’s legends. The stork had become nearly extinct by the 1970’s so an effort was made to save them. They are known to nest on posts and church steeples and we were fortunate enough to spot one.

Another specialty of the Alsace area is something called a Tarte Flambee, and something we were advised me must sample while in the area. We picked one of our favorite villages prior to ending our drive and found a café that advertised homemade Tarte Flambee, an easy task as it turned out. The dish is very, very thin and actually as thin or thinner than any flatbread I have seen. It is bread dough baked and almost cracker like in texture. It is served on a wooden board (like a bread board) looking like a pizza with no tomato sauce. The traditional dish has crème fraiche, white cheese, bacon diced and onion and then baked like a pizza. We had two types, one traditional with chives and the other with an Emmental Cheese added. They were both delicious and very light, unlike a pizza.

This was our last stop on this drive and we would encourage anyone who travels to France to not only take a drive to the Alsace Lorraine region but to include the Rue du Vin in your visit.