Alsace wine tour to ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ [최현태 기자의 와인홀릭]

Alsace, Colmar, France Every summer ‘Music Alta Festival’ is held / Animation ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ background stage ‘Pumping’ into a colorful fairy tale world / A wine route that harmonizes with medieval villages and vineyards stretches 170 km / Joseph, the owner of Colmar ‘The Wizard of Pinot Blanc and Riesling’, who has made wine for over 300 years over 12 generations.

thin and long fingers. As you begin to stroke the keys like flowing water, a beautiful melody echoes faintly from the high ceilings of Notre Dame Cathedral in Elysee, Alsace. ‘Recuerdos de la Alhambra’. The delicate performance of Simon Ghraichy, a regular guest of the Alsace Music Alta Festival, tells the story of Boavdil, the last king of the Arab Nasrid dynasty, who was expelled to Africa and tells the story of the old story of the Alhambra Palace, the ‘Jewel of Granada’ in Spain. It looks like a movie unfolding. Go on a wine tour to Colmar, Alsace, where wine and classics abound and a colorful fairy tale world unfolds.

Howl’s Moving Castle, Colmar and Music Festival

A shabby hat shop next to a railroad where a steam locomotive emitting black smoke is noisy. Sophie, who lives a good life, cherishes the place her father passed down to her. Thanks to Howl, who appeared from nowhere, he escaped the crisis, but this time he is pursued by mysterious monsters that fill the alley. right now. Howl drags Sophie into the sky and shouts at the frightened Sophie. “Stand out and keep walking! Don’t be afraid!” Two people flying like walking on a colorful roof. At this time, the upbeat and sad OST title song plays. “The Merry-Go-Round of Life” by Joe Hisaishi. This is one of the most impressive scenes in the 2004 animated film ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ by Haao Mayazaki.

The whole movie makes you fall in love with the pastel-toned pretty town that looks like a fairy tale landscape. The village that appeared in the background of the work is Colmar, Alsace, France. Standing in Petite Venise, where beautiful houses stretch endlessly along the Lauch River, you become Sophie and Howl. Not only in Petite Venice, but in Colmar, you won’t notice the passing of time because of the similar scenery. Every summer in Colmar like this, it overflows with classical melodies. Thanks to the Musicalta Academy & Festival, which started in 1996. Every July and August, a music festival is held for 20 days at the Eglise Notre-Dame de l’Assomption in the beautiful town of Rouffach, a 10-minute drive south of downtown Colmar, Alsace. They participate and make the audience’s ears strong. There will also be master classes with world-famous masters participating. The academy is held twice for 9 nights and 10 days, and concerts by students who participated in the academy are also staged, making it very popular with Korean majors.

I visited the Music Alta Festival in the summer of 2019 right before the outbreak of Corona 19. Simone Grassi, whose trademark curly pony hair and incredibly fast fingers, played the piano at the Elysees Notre Dame, where he played Memories of the Alhambra and received a standing ovation from the audience. This song is well-known for its composition and performance by Francisco Tarrega, the ‘Sarasate of the Guitar’ who perfected the tremolo technique. Simon’s finger touching the keyboard like a tremolo playing almost like the original song is just amazing. The unique space of a medieval cathedral harmonizes with this, making his performance even more mysterious. If you travel to Alsace in summer, the Musicalta Festival will provide you with unforgettable memories.

Colmar Owner Joseph Cattan

Alsace is brimming with things to see and eat, but wine is what makes Alsace even brighter with music. From Marlenheim near Strasbourg in the north of Alsace’s capital city, through Colmar to Thann near Mulhouse in the south, the Alsatian Wine Route (La Route des Vins d) stretches along the hill for about 170km and spreads vineyards. Alsace)’ is followed. Also along the wine route are picturesque medieval towns such as Obernai – Mont Sainte Odile – Chateau du Haut-Koenigsbourg – Riquewhir – Eguisheim – Huffache. With villages and tourist attractions spread out, it is no exaggeration to say that a trip to Alsace is a journey through wine villages.

The development of this wine region is thanks to the blessed natural conditions. The wine route spans the Voges Mountains at an elevation of 1200 m to the west and the Rhine River to the east. Due to the ‘rain shade’ effect of the Vosges Mountains blocking the rain and wind, Alsace receives only 500 to 600 mm of annual precipitation in France, which is the second lowest in France. . And thanks to the ‘Indian Summer’ climate, where there is no rain and warm weather in the fall, the grapes ripen slowly, resulting in a wine with a delicate aroma, acidity and outstanding flavor.

In this Alsace wine route, Colmar is called ‘the wine capital of Alsace’. There are 51 Crankru-class vineyards on the Wine Route, and about 40 of them are concentrated in and around Colmar. Among the many famous wineries, Joseph Cattin is regarded as the head of the Colmar wine route. François Cattin from Switzerland settled in Voegtlinshoffen near Houpache, where the Musicalta Festival was held in 1720 and started making wine himself. I would. It is currently led by Jacques Cattin junior. Kadang wine is imported from WS Trade to Korea.

The Wizard of Pinot Blanc and Riesling

Entering the modern building, Catan Winery welcomes guests with a large wooden cellar, where wines are aged, poudre and Catan wines on display. The first floor is a wine shop where you can taste and purchase wine. The middle floor is decorated as a gallery. When I went up to the second floor, Jacques greeted me warmly saying that he had a hard time coming from a long way. The 2nd floor is a rooftop wine bar. As you step out onto the terrace, the colorful houses and vineyards of the Alsatian village unfold like a picture. A glass of Brut Cattin Cremant, Jacques’ sparkling wine, soaked in the warm sunlight, the fatigue of the trip will quickly fade away. French cremants often use the same varieties as Champagne, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, but Bruc Catin Cremant is a unique blend of Pinot Blanc and Auxerroir. The freshness of green apple, lemon and white flowers fills the mouth and refreshes the mood. It’s a nice cremant to drink as a welcome drink or aperitif.

Katan is the largest family-run winery in Alsace. The three vineyards owned by Bögtlanschofung, Steinbach and the vicinity of Colmar are all about 65 ha. Joseph Catan Cremant Emotion is a blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Blanc grown on clay and limestone soils. Only cuvée is used among softly pressed grape juices, and it undergoes bottle aging for 24 months. The aroma of ripe apples and peaches dominates the sense of smell, and the notes of yeast, brioche, and butter obtained through bottle aging also follow abundantly, harmonizing well with fresh acidity. It also smells like sweet honey. It has excellent acidity and goes very well with seafood. Catin Grand Cuvée Crémant goes through a whopping 4 years of bottle aging, and contrary to Emotion, 80% Pinot Blanc and 20% Chardonnay are blended. I can feel the confidence and know-how about the breed to the point where they put Pinot Blanc, the representative breed of Alsace, on the front. In Alsace, Pinot Blanc and Riesling account for 22% each, and Gewürztraminer 20%, Pinot Gris 17%, Pinot Noir 8-10%, Silvaner 6-7%, Muscat 2%.

Pinot Blanc is a white variety derived from Pinot Noir. The aroma and flavor of nuclear fruits such as apple and peach are representative, and the deep white flower fragrance and minerals stand out. It is mainly grown in Alsace, Germany, northern Italy and Hungary, and is made from full-bodied dry wines. In Alsace, it is usually made by mixing a lot with oxerua. Cattin Naturalite Brut is a wine with Cattin’s confidence and is made with 100% Pinot Blanc Cremant. All Catin wines are organically brewed, so they are also called ‘vegan wines’. Fresh and elegant floral notes such as elderflower dominate. Apple, peach and toasty flavors spread in your mouth.

Follow Jacques on a Cattin Freres tour. It is a 3-minute walk from the winery, and the exterior decorated with traditional Alsatian buildings stands out. As we step down to the basement cellar, Poudre, twice the height of an adult, is overwhelming. These are large barrels of about 5000 liters. If you use this old foudre, you can make a wine with a fresh fruity flavor while excluding the oak flavor as much as possible. Some of the old foudres are over 100 years old, Jacques explains.

In one corner, a Brut Cattin Rose crémant is ripening deliciously on a gyro palette. Jacques takes out a rosé cremant that is aging in a fantastic pink color and shows the yeast residue that collects at the mouth of the bottle. It explains that it goes through a bottle aging process for 15 months. Starting with the fruity scent of cherry and blackcurrant, strawberry, lemon, and fresh acidity refresh the energy, making it perfect for hot summer days. Gyropalette is a device necessary for the traditional sparkling aging process through secondary bottle fermentation. The yeast residue is collected at the mouth of the bottle through the Riddling process, which automatically turns the bottle and raises the angle little by little. When the bottle is aged, the mouth of the bottle is slightly frozen to remove the yeast residue, and the dosage is applied to determine the sugar content, and then the bottle is closed with a cork. In the past, they were placed on a shelf called Pupitre and turned one by one by hand, but these days, a lot of gyro pallets are used for mass production.

Katan makes cremants from Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, which are produced in Steinbach, southern Alsace. We also produce rosé still wines made with 100% Pinot Noir. A very interesting story is told about the Steinbach vineyards. The village’s church and chapel were built in the 11th century for the patron saint of St. Morand, who was also a winemaker. One day St. Morand had a guest, and the wine barrel was empty. Therefore, he painted a cross on the barrel, and after that, the barrel was never empty and filled with wine, so that he could drink abundantly. Catan uses a ‘pneumatic press’ when pressing grapes. This is the most delicately produced grape juice by pressing, which is mainly used in Champagne, so that the aroma is well preserved. The pressed juice flows into a stainless steel tank by gravity method, fermented, and aged in a large foudre.

The Riesling is also a breed that Catang handles very well. Joseph Cattin Alsace Riesling Grand Cru Hatschbourg is a prime example. Riesling grown in marl and limestone at an altitude of 220-330 m above sea level captures the feeling of high-quality Riesling produced in a vineyard rich in minerals such as patrol. Herbs like licorice, apricots and peaches go well together, and the acidity balance is good. Grilled on the grill, it goes well with fish dishes with lemon sauce. Hatschburg also offers Gewürztraminer, Muscat and Pinot Gris wines.

Haveschburg is a very historic Grand Cru vineyard. Records of vineyards have been growing since 1188, and wines of excellent quality have been produced since the 13th century. In the Middle Ages, bishops and clergy grew grapes, and from the 18th century, wine was exported to Northern Europe. Joseph Cattin Riesling Pur de Roche is a very attractive Riesling with subtle herbal notes of chamomile. The delicious apple tart and citrus scent linger in the mouth and the finish lasts for a long time as a seductive feeling.

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