Patrick Aledo took over as General Manager of Pierre Sparr in Alsace, France in 2009. Under his direction, the winery has released some beautiful expressions of the Alsace terroir. Uniquely situated on the border between France and Germany, Alsatians make wines that, according to The World Atlas of Wine, are “Germanic wine in a French way”. Varietals like Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Sylvaner, and Gewurztraminer thrive here, but Riesling is king. Patrick discusses why wines of Alsace are so different from their French and German cousins, a bit of the history of Pierre Sparr, Alsatian dogs, and invites us to the Alsace Wine Fair – which we immediately decided we would attend. Look for shows from Europe in August.