The Communales (Villages) of Alsace
The communales of the regulated region, or Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (A.O.C.), Alsace refer to specific villages or inter-communal areas that have more stringent regulations than the broader Alsace A.O.C. regulated region. There are 14 communal appellations that can be indicated on the label in addition to AOC Alsace. The 14 communales include Bergheim, Blienschwiller, Côtes de Barr, Côte de Rouffach, Coteaux du Haut-Koenigsbourg, Klevener de Heiligenstein, Ottrott, Rodern, Saint-Hippolyte, Scherwiller, Vallée Noble, Val Saint-Grégoire, Wolxheim. These communal appellations have stricter rules in regard to aspects of the vineyards and winemaking process, such as which grape varieties are permitted, the allowed vine density, the allowed pruning methods, the required grape ripeness levels, and the maximum grape yields allowed. Higher vine density in a vineyard can improve the quality of the wine produced because when vines are more closely spaced, they must c...
