Alternative Alsace with Sam Hill of West London Wine School

Join us for a special tasting to explore some of the more unusual aspects of the Alsace region. Wine School educator and winemaker Sam Hill spent the autumn of 2020 working in the winery of the biodynamic wine producers Domaine Achillée in Alsace. As well as learning a lot about their unique approach to wine making he visited many of Achillée’s friends to find out more about the fresh and alternative wine making approaches throughout Alsace. Alsace In North-Eastern France, on the border of Germany, lie the picturesque, towns and vineyards of Alsace. The classic wines of Alsace are Germanic, with Riesling and Gewurztraminer found here side-by-side with French Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris, all adding to a small-but-complex wine producing region offering the most aromatic and different styles in comparison to the rest of France. But there is more to Alsace than these classic wines. Alongside these distinctive regional styles there are winemakers pushing the boundaries of Alsace wines, willing to take those extra steps and to test what is possible from these iconic vineyards and varieties. Sam will talk you through some of the philosophies, techniques and wines that he discovered on his journey. The wines on tasting will surprise and excite and some may confound. Many of these wines are not available to buy in the UK: from plum sparkling wine, to some unusual white blends and impressive Pinot Noir – we think you will be impressed by the variety and quality. Wines on Tasting:

• Domaine Achillee - Quetsch Alors Sparkling plum wine
• Domaine Achillee -  Macerated Gewurztraminer
• Catherine Riss - Pied De Nez (Pinot Noir/Gewurtz)
• JP Schmitt - Pinot Gris
• Fleith - Pinot Noir
• Rieffel Nature Pinot Noir
• Pierre Frick Chasselas 
• Domaine Achillee - Riesling Schieferberg