Half-timbered villages, storks on the rooftops, German street names and French passports. Alsace is where two cultures meet, and the wine is all the better for the centuries of friendly argument.

Tucked against the German border in France's north-east, sheltered by the Vosges mountains, Alsace makes some of the most distinctive white wine in the country: dry, aromatic and utterly its own thing.

The Aromatic Whites

Four grapes lead the way. Riesling is dry and steely, all lemon and wet stone. Pinot Gris is richer and smoky, with a savoury depth. Gewurztraminer is the showman, a riot of rose petal, lychee and exotic spice. And Muscat is dry, grapey and unexpectedly delicate. All of them speak clearly, with nothing hidden.

Labelled Like Nowhere Else in France

Here is the quiet radical bit: unlike most of France, Alsace puts the grape variety proudly on the label. No decoding of obscure village names required. For the country's fifty-one Grand Cru vineyards, the name of the site joins it, marking the finest plots. Clarity, for once, is the house style.

The Ultimate Food Whites

Few wines handle tricky dishes so well. Gewurztraminer is the classic answer to fragrant Asian food and pungent Munster cheese; dry Riesling loves charcuterie and choucroute. When a dish leaves you stumped, an Alsace white is very often the fix.