Sylvaner and choucroute. Alsace's underrated grape at the table.

Domaine Engel and a son-in-law from Normandy

Xavier Baril is the son-in-law of the Engel family and was born in Normandy, which he jokes is like another country compared to Alsace. He has been with the family for 30 years and says the start was tough, but coming in without history let him bring new ideas to the winery.

The estate is young by Alsace standards. Xavier explains that his father-in-law began bottling in the 1970s, when most growers still sold their wine in bulk. Domaine Engel went organic twenty years ago, and Xavier says it took seven or eight years to taste the difference, mainly as more sapidity and minerality, linked to ploughing the soil.

Sylvaner's comeback

Sylvaner, Xavier says, makes up only about 2% of Alsace vineyards. Its name was damaged by high yields and too much quantity, and producers like Engel now work to reduce yields. His Sylvaner Renaissance is bone dry, with no residual sugar, which fits his message that Alsace is going back to dryness.

Andreas finds a wine that smells of Alsace before you even think of the grape: warm, fruity, pleasant, with bright acidity, structure and a long finish. Xavier also pours an unusual Pinot Noir inspired by Amarone, with 5% of the grapes dried for three months and then infused into the wine.

Andreas remembers Alsace Pinot Noirs of 20 or 30 years ago as pale and tart. Xavier credits a new, ambitious generation: denser plantings, vines that have now reached maturity and a warmer climate. Still, when asked for his favorite grape, he names Riesling, the queen of white grapes and the one that best reveals the personality of a place.

Choucroute de la mer with mustard sauce

Cooking choucroute for an Alsatian is bold, so Andreas gives it a twist. His choucroute de la mer uses sauerkraut cooked with onion, shallot, smoked pork belly, bay leaf, juniper and caraway, finished with shellfish stock and Alsace white wine. Cod, salmon and prawns steam on top of the cabbage, and a sauce of cooking juices, cream and coarse mustard ties it together.

Andreas would normally serve this with Riesling, but the Sylvaner surprises him. Its brightness, freshness and pure fruit cut through the cabbage and fish, while the mustard cream adds richness. Xavier praises the wine's long acidity and the length of the aftertaste with the dish. The lesson for home cooks: the sharpness of sauerkraut needs a white with real acidity, while smoked pork and creamy sauces call for enough fruit and body. A dry Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc or Riesling will all do the job.

Pairing ideas for Alsace whites

Xavier's own favorite is dry Pinot Gris with chicken vol-au-vent or other white meat. Andreas reaches for Riesling with Swedish classics like gravlax and herring, and sometimes Gewürztraminer with Indian food. The memory game in this episode even features the local classic of Gewürztraminer with Munster cheese.

Looking ahead, Xavier sees Alsace focusing on dry wines: top Rieslings that show their terroirs, drier Pinot Gris, longer-aged sparkling wines and more ambitious Pinot Noir from denser plantings and a warming climate.

A white for a special occasion

Xavier's blind wine is a serious white that inspires his own winemaking. Andreas finds power, finesse, roasted hazelnut, sweet citrus and a hint of vanilla, and decides it deserves luxury: lobster tail seared in brown butter with ginger and hazelnuts, on a creamy cauliflower purée. Watch to discover whether he can name it, and where Xavier ends up on the wall of fame.