Some of the best values in white wines come from the northeastern corner of France in an area called Alsace.
Alsatian wines reflect the meeting of the French and the German cultures.
Alsatian whites may come in those tall, thin bottles like German wines, but inside are a couple of key differences. Alsatian wines tend to be more dry than the German wines, and they will have a higher alcohol content. The dry character of the Alsatian wines really shows up when you compare a Gewurztraminer from Alsace to one from the United States. American Gewurztraminers tend to be sweeter, a characteristic that turns off many U.S. wine drinkers who say they prefer only dry wines. So they are surprised, even shocked, when they drink an Alsatian Gewurztraminer and find it bone dry.