Our weekly newspaper about food, wine and life in Alsace, Burgundy & Tuscany.

Articles about B&B's in Alsace, Pinot Noir and more!

Winestein @ JSwinetours

Our weekly newspaper about food, wine and life in Alsace, Burgundy & Tuscany. Stories via @drinkAlsace @AboutTuscany @AlsaceWines

Articles about the ancient history of pooring, scallops, Dopff & Irion and more!

Winestein @ JSwinetours

Our weekly newspaper about food, wine and life in Alsace, Burgundy & Tuscany. Stories via @AlsaceWines @AboutTuscany @SanCrittenden

As Thanksgiving approaches, not only are people across the country preparing for the special meal by digging up family recipes, searching for casserole dishes, and scouring supermarkets for ingredients. They’re also storming wine retailers in search of the perfect wine to accompany the turkey (or its vegetarian counterpart), all its sides, and the pies.

Winestein @ JSwinetours

Our weekly newspaper about food, wine and life in Alsace, Burgundy & Tuscany. Stories via @AlsaceWines @drinkAlsace

Cam Sterns and Hallie Schafer bought a 1,900-square-foot home in Tuscany 14 years ago, expecting this to be the last place they’d move.

Winestein @ JSwinetours

Vins d’Alsace op RTL4

Alsace: Grand Cru Schlossberg

The Grand Cru system in Alsace dates "only" from 1975.
The first area getting the nomination "grand cru" of now 51 areas was the Schlossberg. Schloss is german for castle. And with castle we mean the castle of Kaysersberg in this particular case.

The soil is mainly granite which gives clearness, freshness and minerality. As it does not rain much in this area and the water rushes down, the grapes sometimes really suffer looking for water on this plot of land.
But .... suffering is mostly positive for the smell and taste. The balance between acidity and sugar is very distinctive in Schlossberg.

Grand Cru Schlossberg, le film (5 min)A découvrir, à goûter, à partager, sans modération aucune ! Alors…Prêt ??...3, 2,1…Dégustez :-)

Posted by Grands Terroirs d'Alsace on Thursday, 21 May 2015

Behind the Smile with Pieter Smits - JSwinetours

An interview for Rezgo touring software with me: Pieter Smits from JSwinetours.:

How did you end up near Alsace?

After a long time of working in publishing and informatics in the Netherlands I wanted something different.  I decided to make my hobby my work.  Apart from the wines, it also gives me the possibility to meet many different kinds of people.

I have built up (and still am) a network of wine producers and for example restaurant owners and chefs.  I have to do with travel agenst and learn(ed) about the tourism industry.

What is it about your location that makes you and your customers smile?

Fifteen years ago I discovered Alsace. I liked it so much that 11 years ago, I decided to move here permanently.  The space, the mountains, the freedom and of course the food and wines made me smile. And they still do!  Every day.  As Burgundy is only a little bit further than for example Strasbourg, I learned that I could go there too.  More great views and wine and food, I am a lucky guy.

Can you tell us more about JS Wine Tours?

I have always been interested in wine. I have been a member of several wine clubs in Holland.  After moving to France, I decided I wanted to make a living out of my hobby.  I studied soil types, I learned about different grapes. I got to know wine makers personally.  They explained me what they were doing and why.  I learned they were passionate about what they were doing. So am I.  I love to meet new people and show customers around. It is great to share my knowledge and passion.  And everybody has a life story too. Interesting.

What is it about your tours that makes your customers smile?

I do one day and more day wine tours in Alsace and Burgundy.  A couple of times per year we also go to Tuscany for a more day tour.  My tours are not standard. I do not do the same thing every day.  I ask my clientele what they would want before we go. And even during the day/tour we can add, skip or change things as we get to know each other and as I understand more what my customers really like.

Can you share an experience with your business that made you smile?

More then once I have had families that got together again for one of our tours. In daily life the children moved out and were living in other states or even other countries.  We have had many wonderful tours where people learned something and most of all had a great time as a family together again.  A big compliment is also that people decide to come back and do another tour in another region the following year.  Needless to say that we got some very generous tips a couple of times.  Wow :)  And last but not least we became friends with quite a few people over the years.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

As I have customers from all over the world, inquiries can come in the whole day and also in the evening. I am always curious about possible demands. So the computer is already on with my morning coffee. And then of course there are the producers, the wine makers and the restaurants. What are they experiencing? Anything new I should know? Anything that is interesting for my (potential) customers? It never stops :)

Can you share something about yourself that others may not know?

I am a great music lover. I even try to play the piano. I invested in some old vintage tube gear and own two old jukeboxes which I (partially) restored myself. I guess I have a lot of passions, but you understood that one already, right?!

If you could share one piece of advice for other tour or activity operators, what would it be?

Remember you are selling fun, a passion. Be open and flexible. You are never selling “just seats” in a mini-van. Do not think 9 to 5 ; think quality of life.

The original article is here: https://www.rezgo.com/2015/04/behind-the-smile-js-wine-tours

Events & tourplanning for 2015

Our Alsace and Burgundy daytours and 3-day tours are always available on demand, please check the calendar. (Please find our calendar "id" in the link here.)

Burgundy and Tuscany "more day" private tours are also available on demand.

There are still place available for the:

Luxury Alsace 5-day tour I       :    8 - 12 September 2015
Luxury Tuscany 5-day tour I    :  26 -30 Mai 2015
Luxury Tuscany 5-day tour II  :   5 -10 October 2015

Checkout our press release ! 
Mail or call if you are interested!

Hope to see you too!

Cheers :)
Pieter Smits

Twelve Alsace Rieslings from Bettane+Desseauve

Checkout this post from Bettane+Desseauve about 12 great Rieslings from Alsace.
On the picture a selection.

We have tasted them all. Visit Alsace, tour with us and you can too!

Alsace has the most Michelin Stars in France.

Alsace has 26 Michelin-starred restaurants, the most Michelin Stars in France.

Photo: © 2015 Upper Rhine Valley

Our job is of course to try them all out.
Cheers!

Newsletter Christmas 2014

Almost Christmas  
With still some visits to Strasbourg and Colmar and some tours to the Christmas markets in Kaysersberg, Equisheim and Riquewihr ahead, we are slowly moving to the end of the year.

Touring in 2014
We have done a lot of great tours in Alsace and Tuscany this year.
For some Alsace tours we have picked up people all the way in Basel in Switzerland and at Basel airport. Logically we stayed south on those tour days, as there are many interesting wineries to be found in the south “Haut Rhin” area, like Schlumberger and Agathe Bursin for example and we do not want to lose too much time just driving.

Bachelor parties
A couple of bachelor parties this year were great fun. On one of them we also did a boat ride on a canal near Colmar. This gave the people time to let us talk to the future groom while tasting wine and to be honest some beer too.

On another bachelor tour we visited the “Confrérie Saint Etienne” and tasted 5 Grand Cru wines of the year 2004. This was the year the groom met his bride to be.

Sadly we missed the celebration festivities of the 400th year in continuous production of our friends the family of Jean Baptiste Adam in May, as we were touring in Tuscany.

Tuscany
It was great doing two tours (in spring and early summer) in Tuscany. We cherish the private tastings at Laura Gray from Il Palazzone and with Paola from Siro Pacenti.

We were privileged to get to know the owner of Ristorante Guidoriccio in Siena (this man knows his Italian wines ….) and Gianfranco at “Il Leccio” in Saint Angelo in Colle. So many great Brunello’s came by that afternoon.

Nice guests, nice local people, great cooks, wonderful times.

It was very special to see Princess Coralia Pignatelli again in Castell in Villa, after 11 years.
In those days, 11 years ago, yours truly had just moved to France and visited the area with a Dutch Wine club. This time we did a private tasting invited in her house which was quite special as Madame understandably wants to keep her privacy.

We organized a group dinner on the premises later in the year.
We also think back on our visits at for example Gagliole and the great Chianti tasting plus lunch we enjoyed at their sister house and vineyards in Panzano.

The wine year 2014
The year 2014 saw an early spring with lots of sunshine in France and Italy. The winter had been wet with little snow. This led to landslides and problems in Tuscany.

Sadly, in July and especially August the temperatures were under normal and we had lots of rain, even in Tuscany. September and October were sunny and dry again. The weather stayed great until deep in November.

A couple of hail storms in Alsace and especially Burgundy brought lots of damage. The quality of the grapes and harvest from for example Riesling in Alsace was still good. But a big problem this year was the arrival of the Japanese Suzuki fly. It attacked the reddish skinned grapes like Pinot Noir but also Gewurztraminer, making the grapes go bad in only a few hours. Changes in harvest planning, stress, and low yields resulted.

For Sangiovese in Italy producing the great Brunello’s, it will not be a great year we heard. For Olive oil the production this year will be even worse. Because of the strange weather patterns yields are very low to practically zero. Let us hope 2015 will be more normal.

New in 2014: JoliSoleil city and genealogy tours
Although we started focusing on wine tours a couple of years ago, more and more times people asked us to do something different, helping them explore their family roots in Alsace. This was especially the case on day tours. This made us decide to add for example “City Tours” to the program with visits to Strasbourg and Colmar but also to smaller villages like Equisheim, Kaysersberg, Riquewihr and Turckheim.

Another question came two times from two different families living in the United States but with ancestors in Alsace. On one occasion we traced back a Jewish family history and visited some places that were mentioned in a family reunion some years ago. In another case we traced back two families that have lived near Reinhardsmunster and Epfig for hundreds of years. We found their names in old books and cemetery’s. But we can also find people with the name still living here today!

As Genealogy is a hobby of Terry Smits and she has access to several genealogy databases on the Internet, we will of course continue offering these special services for people that look for their roots and ancestors.

New in 2015: Burgundy tours
As wine lovers we visited Burgundy now and then over the years already of course. As driving to Beaune or Nuits St George is only a bit further then driving to Strasbourg from our farm near Gérardmer, we will take guests to Burgundy in 2015 also.

Like in Alsace and Tuscany we know our way. We took the time to visit and taste at smaller and relatively unknown wineries.

Very important is that we tried out lots of little restaurants. We think it is always a sport to find that spot that offers great quality for a good price. This means that like in Alsace we can add a great lunch and or dinner on a “one day tour” and offer the whole package still for a reasonable price.

We can also be of service now to wine & food lovers that would like to get to know Alsace and Burgundy in for example two or three days in one tour package with us.

And we will also go to Tuscany of course a couple of times in 2015. Those will only be more day tours for people that really want to wine and dine on an exquisite and connoisseur level.

Christmas 2014
At home we are working on some great Christmas dinners for family and friends. Each time we will pair two wines per course, making a selection from our favorite areas and private wine cellar.

We hope that all our guests and everybody that follows us will have a wonderful Christmas too.

We would love to meet you in 2015. And of course it would be great to see some of our relations back in another tour area in the coming year. Don't wait too long with your bookings.
We are only two people and with everything we do now, we are quite busy.

     

We wish everybody a prosperous and happy 2015 !

Cheers from Terry & Pieter Smits 

Bachelor party in Alsace around "2004" the meeting year of bride and groom.

Bachelor party in Alsace with 5 friends from Suisse around the theme "2004" , the year the future groom met his bride Cheers, guy: Have a great married life!

About those big oak barrels in Alsace

This is a big oak wine barrel as we use it in Alsace.

Depending on the size barrels like this can contain from 6.000 to 8.000 liters.
Some barrels are over 100 years old.

They are not used to work on the tannin's of the wines. In the old days we simply did not have stainless steel tanks. Today they are still used though, because they "breath".

Inside a barrel you will find a heating element.By heating up the juices the winemaker can start and control the temperature and with that the proces of fermentation.

Did you ever wonder how they would clean a big barrel like on the picture above, from the inside?

By climbing in: ...... on the picture you can see the boot and leg of a man that got in and is brushing and washing the inside. Not for claustrophobic 's ...

Where do babies come from? The white storks the symbol of Alsace of course!

We grew up with stories of white storks delivering babies to our doorsteps. It may date me a bit, but I recall from my baby scrapbook my mother kept for me, drawings of the stork flying me to my parents! Pink blanket for me, and blue blanket for my brother.

Beautiful tall white birds, with very long orange legs, and a big long orange beak, and black tips on their wings abound in Alsace.

Legend has it if a stork is flying over your house the baby is on the way. When the baby is born it means the stork has flown down to the land of souls of the dead that are now reincarnated to a new baby. The stork takes the baby up in a blanket and flies the child from the land of souls to your doorstep. This is where babies come from everybody knows that!

If a stork chooses your house to make a nest, this is a symbol of very good luck. However it is said, a stork will never place his nest on a house where there has been a divorce! Today, it is estimated there are over 600 stork couples in Alsace, so very much good luck, love, and fertility here! Also we must assume not to many divorces.

The nests of these storks are permanent homes. We can think of them like a summer home, as they spend their winters as far away as South Africa to avoid the cold Alsatian winters. These nests are often supported by metal holders that Alsatians put on top of their homes to support their massive weight, as they can weight up to 500 kilograms, just over 1,000 pounds. It is a lot of fun to see these, and in the spring hearing the birds loudly clapping their beaks together in joy!

In the spring the male will arrive first to set up housekeeping in his forever nest, and soon after the female will arrive. These birds mate for life and somehow find each other again after flying as far as 15,000 kilometers back from Africa to their Alsatian home. Hard to imagine how they do it, but they do!

While touring with us in Alsace you will definitely see these majestic creatures in the the spring and summer, and we will most likely drive by this location  "Parc des cigognes et des loutres" Stork park, where you can see hundreds nesting and flying about from the road, and if you like we can plan a visit for you inside the park as well.

Yes, beloved Alsace, home to some of the best stories ever, with evidence of their truth!
Cheers!

Our evening at the Cave Historique des Hospices in Strasbourg

Top 10 'new generation Alsace' dry wines according to Decanter

Top 10 'new generation' dry wines:

René Muré, Cuvée Prestige, Crémant d’Alsace NV 
17.5/20pts (91/100pts)
£17.22 Spirited Wines
Made from Pinots Blanc, Gris and Noir, and Riesling – the final blend based on a solera method of previous vintages added to the wine of the year. On lees for 12 months and then 18 months’ ageing in bottle (this one disgorged in 2007). White apricot and pear, with hazelnut notes, yet floral and citrussy on the finish with still vibrant bubbles.
Drink 2014–2020
Alc 12.5%

Trimbach, Clos-Ste-Hune Riesling 2007 
19/20pts (96/100pts)
£100–£135 Bordeaux Index, Harrods, Fortnum & Mason, Hedonism, Lay & Wheeler, Millésima, Swig, The Wine Society
1.7 grams/litre of residual sugar (RS) and 7.2g/l acidity. Precise fruit and complex expression of limestone freshness. Old vines (45–50 years old) facing south and southeast bring concentration to this wine, which finishes on a subtle note of white pepper.
Drink 2018–2035
Alc 13%

Trimbach, Cuvée Frédéric Emile Riesling 2007 
18/20pts (93/100pts)
£28–£45 Berry Bros & Rudd, Fortnum & Mason, Great Western Wine, Harper Wells, HG Wines, Majestic, Millésima, Planet of the Grapes, Swig
0.7g/l RS, 7.9g/l acidity. From grapes grown on Geisberg and Osterberg grands crus. Still young and shy but with some aeration you get lemon and green apple aromas, and stony hints. Very pure and mineral-driven palate with subtle concentration and excellent potential.
Drink 2015–2025

Alc 13%

Frédéric Mochel, Cuvée Henriette Riesling, Altenberg-de-Bergbieten Grand Cru 2010 
17.5/20pts (91/100pts)
N/A UK mochel.net
A 2013 DWWA Silver medal winner. Ripe, juicy and open palate with citrus, baked apple and spice flavours. Excellent density and a very refreshing, floral finish.
Drink 2014–2025
Alc 13%

Sipp Mack, Riesling, Rosacker Grand Cru 2010 
17.5/20pts (91/100pts)
£17.95 Gerrard Seel
Very pure and pristine grapefruit aromas and flavours. Rounded structure with precision and vibrancy on the finish.
Drink 2014–2025
Alc 13%

Barmès-Buecher, Clos Sand Riesling 2008 
17/20pts (90/100pts)
£24.91 Gauntleys
3.7g/l RS, 9g/l acidity. Biting but not cutting acidity. Superior freshness and a tang of iodine and lime notes.
Drink 2015–2025
Alc 13%

Henry Fuchs, Riesling, Kirchberg Grand Cru 2009 
17/20pts (90/100pts)
£18.85 Christopher Piper
Aromas and flavours of rhubarb, mango and aniseed. Located at the cooler high point of Kirchberg, at 400m, this vintage offers delightful tension and fine fruit.
Drink 2014–2020
Alc 13.5%

Pfister, Cuvée 8 2011 
17/20pts (90/100pts)
£14.38 The Drink Shop, Woodwinters
Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Muscat blend. Exudes richness, complexity and dryness. Lacks the razor sharpness of pure Riesling but popular for palates seeking greater richness and plenty of
nuance.
Drink 2014–2018
Alc 13.5%

Pfister, Riesling, Engelberg Grand Cru 2009 
17/20pts (90/100pts)
£24.01–£27.50 Halifax Wine Co, The Drink Shop, Woodwinters
Refreshingly rounded yet dry palate showing Chablis-like focus, citrus flavours and aromas of grapefruit and lemon. Lingering finish marked by wet stone and gunflint notes.
Drink 2014–2020
Alc 13.5%

Henry Fuchs, Pinot Blanc- Auxerrois 2012 
15.5/20pts (85/100pts)
£10.28 Christopher Piper
Lovely notes of mirabelle plum, apricot and iodine saltiness. Made from old vines on a high slope between Ribeauvillé and Bergheim, which maintains freshness.
Drink 2014–2015
Alc 13%

Read more at http://www.decanter.com/people-and-places/wine-articles/584819/alsace-the-new-generation#0GZDVZmby2gbspDs.99

Sales of Alsace Crémant reached new highs in 2013!

With 34 million bottles sold in 2013 the sales of Alsace Crémant reached a new high.

While the consumption on the home market in France remained stable, the sales in countries like Germany, Belgium and also Sweden and Great Britain has boomed.

The success is explained by the simple fact that a good product is promoted for a very reasonable price. Congratulations Alsace wine makers!
#jolisoleil  #drinkalsace

Group tour Alsace : 12-14 September

Only 2 places left for tour from 12 - 14 September

You will stay in a nice little hotel near Kaysersberg. The breakfasts and one lunch are included. Dinner can be organized, but that is up to you. Of course we have suggestions for you. From simple and tasteful to very exclusive Michelin Star restaurants.

Included are visits and tastings at 4 wineries. We will visit wineries with very different philosophy's in Bas Rhin and Haut Rhin.

Alsace Wines; Playlist by JSwinetours, Pieter Smits

Link to playlist

The Alsace Region and Alsace Wines

by JSwinetours Pieter Smits
66 videos
415 views
Last updated on Nov 18, 2015

JoliSoleil / JSwinetours is a company hosted by Pieter Smits that organizes tours and wine tastings to the Alsace, Burgundy and Tuscany region for small groups. (2-25 people). We stay at great hotels in those (wine) regions.

We also organize a luxury "wine-and-dine" weekend in the chateau of Hattonchatel near Nancy.
In this channel a series of movies on and about Alsace and Alsace wines in English and some in Dutch..
#drinkalsace 

"The most wonderful way to spend 2 days in Alsace!"

"My husband and I just recently toured the Alsace region of France with the help of Pieter and his company JoliSoleil.


We had the most amazing time visiting the most interesting wineries and tasting the most beautiful wines. Pieter knew exactly what to do and where to go and even suggested the best wines to taste and how to taste them. For example, we were tasting the same grape from the same year but from a different parcel of land so that we can taste the difference that terroir makes. We did the same thing with different vintages and even tasted the same exact wine from grapes just picked weeks apart. Amazing!!!!!



We learned so much! We also discovered that we really really LOVE Alsacian wines.

If you haven't been to Alsace you MUST go! You will meet the most amazing people, experience the most charming French villages, eat delicious food and drink fabulous wine!!!
Let Pieter do all the planning and have a great time!"

Thanks Rina and Dave for this great reference :)