Alsace is the exception to French wine labelling convention — wines here are named for their grape variety, not just the place, much like Germany across the border. Sitting in the rain shadow of the Vosges mountains, the region is dry and sunny for northern France, and its patchwork of granite, limestone and clay soils supports some of the country's most aromatic whites: Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris and Muscat, ranging from bone-dry to late-harvest sweet.

Key grapes: Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat