Predicting wine quality the Alsatian way

The quality of the wine produced in Alsace is exceptionally good, but the local Alsatians have a special tradition to determine if it is going to be a vintage year. On Christmas Eve, in a traditional ceremony handed down from generation to generation, most of the regions leading wine houses take an Alsatian ‘Christmas Rose’ out of its box and dip it into water. Come Christmas morning the way it has opened determines if it is going to be a good or a great year for wine!

For lovers of wine, now is the perfect time to visit Alsace and stock up on pre-Christmas supplies and also get those last minute gifts and stocking fillers. Most of the main towns, including Strasbourg, Colmar and Mulhouse have Christmas markets which offer a great opportunity to purchase fabulous wine, food and gifts. With some of the oldest and largest markets in Europe, and over 50 to choose from, visitors to Alsace could be spoilt for choice this Christmas.

AirFrance (airfrance.co.uk) fly daily from London Gatwick to Strasbourg. Prices start at around £180.00 for an adult return (including taxes). Ryanair fly from London Stanstead to Karlsruhe-Baden in Germany, which is a 45 minute drive to Strasbourg. Return flights start at approximately £105.00 including taxes, although some flights in December still have availability at £0.01. Easyjet fly to the European airport Mulhouse-Baden-Freiburg in the south of Alsace. Return flights start at £103.48 (including taxes).

For more information on the region of Alsace please visit tourism-alsace.com.

The TGV Est high speed rail line opens on June 10th 2007. It will reduce the current journey times from Paris to Alsace by almost half. For example, Paris to Strasbourg will take 2 hours and 20 minutes.
tgvesteuropeen.com