Alsace grand cru designations approved to produce still red wines

Ten Alsace grand cru protected designations of origin (PDO) have been approved to produce still red wines, ending their exclusive reservation for still white wines. The approvals were published on 20 August 2026 in the C series of the Official Journal of the European Union as communications of approved standard amendments to product specifications, under Article 24 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143.

The communications were issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, Agri-food and Food Sovereignty of France, through its Directorate-General for the Economic and Environmental Performance of Enterprises, and all carry the reference date of 26 May 2026. They were published in accordance with Article 5(4) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/27.

The ten designations affected

Each communication concerns a single designation and its own EU reference number:

• Altenberg de Bergheim (C/2026/4453, PDO-FR-A0915-AM03)
• Wineck-Schlossberg (C/2026/4454, PDO-FR-A0633-AM03)
• Sonnenglanz (C/2026/4455, PDO-FR-A0625-AM03)
• Osterberg (C/2026/4456, PDO-FR-A0412-AM03)
• Steinert (C/2026/4457, PDO-FR-A0344-AM03)
• Moenchberg (C/2026/4461, PDO-FR-A0383-AM03)
• Brand (C/2026/4462, PDO-FR-A0340-AM03)
• Altenberg de Bergbieten (C/2026/4463, PDO-FR-A0349-AM03)
• Ollwiller (C/2026/4464, PDO-FR-A0413-AM03)
• Vorbourg (C/2026/4466, PDO-FR-A0632-AM04)

What the amendments change

The core change is that each designation is no longer reserved exclusively for still white wines, following examination of applications for recognition of still red wines at national level. The product specifications were updated accordingly across several chapters, including planting density, pruning rules (single or double Guyot with a maximum of 14 buds per plant), grape ripeness and minimum natural alcoholic strength, and the minimum maturation period, which now runs until 1 November of the year following the harvest.

The amendments also refresh administrative references: the Official Geographic Code is updated to 2025, the demarcated parcel area is dated 25 June 2024, and several municipalities are renamed, including Herrlisheim to Herrlisheim-près-Colmar and Soultz to Soultz-Haut-Rhin in Haut-Rhin, with adjustments in Bas-Rhin. Packaging provisions now specify “Vin du Rhin” bottles and detailed vessel proportions, and transitional measures allow existing vines to keep their entitlement until they are grubbed up, or at the latest through the 2033 harvest.

Wider impact on the Alsace grand cru family

Although only ten designations are individually amended, the communications note that the packaging wording change — replacing “is required for” with “is traditionally used for” — applies to each of the 51 Alsace grand cru protected designations of origin. In addition, for Hengst and Kirchberg de Barr, the minimum maturation period for red wines is increased from 10 to 11 months.

The approvals mark a significant step for Alsace winemaking, opening the region’s most prestigious crus to red wine production while harmonising technical rules across the entire grand cru family. For producers, the updated specifications clarify packaging, maturation and transitional obligations; for consumers, they signal that Alsace grand cru labels may now increasingly appear on still red wines alongside the traditional whites.

Source: Official Journal of the European Union, C series, 20 August 2026, C/2026/4453–C/2026/4466 (official references: PDO-FR-A0915-AM03, PDO-FR-A0633-AM03, PDO-FR-A0625-AM03, PDO-FR-A0412-AM03, PDO-FR-A0344-AM03, PDO-FR-A0383-AM03, PDO-FR-A0340-AM03, PDO-FR-A0349-AM03, PDO-FR-A0413-AM03, PDO-FR-A0632-AM04).