I'm in the early stages of planning a visit to the Alsace and one of my ideas is to visit in the fall. If so when? I'd love to get the fall colors (I'm an amatuer photographer). Also is it totally insane to visit in fall - I've been to other wine regions around the world in fall and it can be pretty crazy with everyone working on getting the harvest in. I'm also not married to the fall - is there any other season that the villages are attractive (ie flowers in full bloom) but not necessarily during the height of summer?
Posted by
Costa Mesa, CA, USA
503 posts
We were just there in October - the harvest was already and the vineyards were golden - flowers still in bloom as well. The only issue was finding lodging - definitely busier than we anticipated!!
Posted by
3444 posts
We were in Alsace in mid-October 2015. We did a couple of wine tastings but didn't visit any vineyards so I don't know if the harvest was still going on or not. I got the sense that it was done.
I can say that it was beautiful and the cooler temperatures made the Alsatian cuisine most enjoyable. The Alsatian wines are generally too sweet for my personal taste, but that didn't stop me from tasting!
Posted by
Portland, Maine
2916 posts
I would guess that the harvest would be mostly over in Alsace by mid-October, except for late harvest wines. I've been there many times, although never during harvest. However, I would think that places with actual tasting rooms would still be open and staffed for visitors, but smaller producers where the "tasting room" is basically a garage or a small annex staffed by the winemaker and his/her family might be closed.