I confess that “arguably the most beautiful wine region in the world” is a phrase I’ve used to describe the Cape Winelands, Mendoza, Burgundy, the Douro Valley and the Wachau Valley, among others. Well, add Alsace to the list. Grapevines thrive on the slopes of the forested Vosges Mountains, often topped by crumbling castles built to protect the half-timbered towns below. Nowadays, the Route des Vins links these picturesque and mostly well-preserved towns, threading through the vineyards dividing them.