There are many areas renowned for their fine wines -- known to even the novice wine drinker: we think almost immediately of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Napa and Sonoma, Chianti, Rioja, or Barossa. But there is one area that many of us in this country tend to forget, and it produces some of the finest white wines in the world.

I'm talking about Alsace. Yes, that little strip of land about seventy miles long and a handful of miles wide that has been the center of territorial disputes between France and Germany for centuries. The place is something of an anomaly. The people speak and consider themselves French, but the names, the architecture, and much of the food is old-world German. The wine is something of an anomaly, too. It is often said that Alsace makes German wine in a French style, and there's a lot of truth to this. But here the differences are as interesting as the similarities.

In Alsace we're dealing with mostly white grapes: Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Muscat mainly. But what a difference between them and those of other countries! Alsatian Riesling, for example, is much drier, not to mention bigger and bolder and higher in alcohol, than most of those from Germany, only eighteen miles away. And it pairs with food so well!

Although Riesling is the greatest of the wine grapes from the area (many experts would call it the greatest white wine grape in the world), when most people think of Alsace, they think of Gewurztraminer. Gewurztraminer is an unctuous wine - perfumed with aromas of rose petals, lychee nuts, and honey. As the perfect wine pairing Asian and Pacific Rim foods - including, yes, sushi - it should be a lot more popular. And just try it with a hunk of Muenster cheese!

Muscat (Moscato) is very popular in this country all of a sudden. But Alsatian Muscat is again unique. Unlike the Muscat from other areas, Alsatian Muscat is dry. Try it as an aperitif.

While I'm at it, can I also plead the case for Pinot Blanc? This is a wine that is often overlooked because people often think of it as a lowly kin to Chardonnay - not quite up to scratch with its big brother. Actually Pinot Blanc is delightful, and a great wine to pair with food precisely because it isn't as overpowering as some Chardonnays can be.

And let's not forget those wonderful, very classy dessert wines - the Vendange Tardives and Selections de Grains Nobles (S.G.N.'s) - that Alsace is famous for. Like all great sweet wines they balance their delicious sweetness with a hint of acidity.

I guess what I'm saying is --- don't forget Alsace. Wine drinkers of the world - be daring. Don't just stick to the tried and true. The experience of wine is so much greater if it includes a love of variety and a willingness to try something different. Enjoy!

Does anyone out there want to vote for another neglected Fine Wine area? We'd love to hear.

Bill Stobbs, Wine Supervisor, West Coast

(Pictured is Domaine Weinbach in Kientzheim, near Kaysersberg. The Grand Cru vineyards of Schlossberg are behind the home of Colette Faller and her daughters Catherine and winemaker Laurence)