Alsace

Of the areas in France, the east is undeniably border country rich in culture and traditions. Estranged to a degree from other parts of France by the Vosges mountains and bordered from Germany by the Rhine, Alsace has been shaped by more than one nation with a history of occupation and conflict.

To really appreciate Alsace you need to know a little about its history as some things are not always how they first appear. The prime example is language - the sing song lingua franca of their day to day parlance may sound like German but in fact it’s a high German dialect with various versions in use. Luckily Alsatians speak French for most daily transactions. But street signs in Strasbourg, since 1991, are bilingual in French and German.

Alsace became part of France in the 17th century and after a relatively quiet period things changed. Since 1871 Alsace - along with most of its neighbour Lorraine - has seen its nationality changed four times. Germany aggressively annexed the area on two occasions with the French assertively reclaiming it in 1918 and 1944.

The resulting combination of teutonic and gallic influences is a boon to both: the region’s Germanic specialities benefit from French refinement and the wines have grape varieties from both countries.