Appellation
Crémant d'Alsace
Identity card
RegionalAOPWhiteRoséSparkling
Alsace · Recognised on 24 August 1976
- Grand cru
- Regional
Key points
- Second fermentation in glass bottles; hand-harvested.
- Whole bunches pressed for whites; at most 100 l of must per 150 kg.
- Yield: at most 80 hl/ha; minimum natural alcohol: 9%.
Grape varieties
Production rules
80
hl/ha
Maximum yield
9
% ABV
Minimum natural alcohol
4,000
vines/ha
Minimum planting density
Minimum ageing: At least 12 months after bottling, including at least 9 on the lees
- Maximum yield
- How much wine a hectare may produce under the appellation (a higher, exceptional ceiling often exists). The lower it is, the less can be made: one of the levers on how concentrated the grapes are. For reference: 35 hl/ha to 80 hl/ha across 100 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum natural alcohol
- The alcohol the grapes' own sugar must be able to give, without enrichment: a ripeness threshold at harvest. For reference: 9 % ABV to 14 % ABV across 50 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum planting density
- The fewest vines allowed per hectare. For the same yield, more vines means fewer grapes on each. For reference: 4,000 vines/ha to 9,000 vines/ha across 107 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum ageing
- A minimum ageing period the specification requires before the wine may be sold to consumers.
Terroir
- Lie of the land: East face of the Vosges: 120 km long, often < 1 km wide
- Climate: Semi-continental; 500–650 mm of rain a year
- Soils: A patchwork of soils from the Rhine rift's faults
Wine style
- acidity to the fore
- fruity notes
- butter, toast
- fine, light mousse
Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence
Specification
29 December 2025
Cahier des charges homologué par le décret n° 2011-1373 du 25 octobre 2011 (JORF n°0251 du 28 octobre 2011), modifié à plusieurs reprises et en dernier lieu par l'arrêté du 29 décembre 2025 (JORF n°0007 du 9 janvier 2026, texte n°19 ; publié au BO-Agri du 15 janvier 2026). Appellation initialement reconnue par le décret du 24 août 1976.
Labelling terms
- Appellation name printed on the part of the cork inside the neck
Nearby appellations
Sources
- Official sourceCahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Crémant d'Alsace »— Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) / Ministère de l'agriculture
Alsace's appellation for sparkling wines, white or rosé, recognised in 1976 along the eastern foothills of the Vosges. The wines are made solely by second fermentation in bottle, from hand-picked grapes; they spend at least nine months on their lees and may not be sold until at least twelve months after bottling for the second fermentation. Six varieties are allowed for the white, Pinot Noir alone for the rosé, and the great majority of the wines are sold as "brut".
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Crémant d'Alsace
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