FrenchDuck’s databank
Grape Varieties

In the east of France and to the east of Burgundy adjacent to Switzerland, the Ain is probably a little overlooked by most visitors.

With Bourg-en-Bresse as its principal town it is a region of gentle hills and river valleys - which is one of the hidden parts of France.

The departement includes Bugey and the wines of Bugey. These are VDQS wines (Vins Délimité de Qualité Superieure) - a classification between full Appellation Controllee and VIns de Pays. As such there are restrictions on grape varieties used and planting and harvesting techniques - and the grapes must be grown in the designated region. White wines from Chardonnay, Roussette; Rosé wines from Gamay and Poulsard; Reds from Gamay, Pinot and Mondeuse; and sparkling wines from Chardonnay. Seldom seen in the UK.
For an opportunity to taste some of these wines there is an open tasting in Lyon from 25-26 January 2008 - click here for more details
For more on the wines of Bugey see www.vinsdubugey.net
One of the highlights of the year is the celebration of the famous yellow corn-fed chickens from Bourg-en-Bresse - the Glorieuses de Bresse held every December shortly before Christmas (for 2008 it runs from 16-21 December 2008 - in the form of a market and other festivities held in Bourg-en-Bresse, Louhans, Pont de Vaux and Montrevel-en-Bresse - see www.glorieusesdebresse.com

More info - see the Ain Tourism Office

For an English run B&B in the region with a knowledgeable host and guide see B&B Burgundy

In the sleepy backwaters of the Hautes Pyrenees département the village and Appellation of Madiran (65 Hautes Pyrenees, Midi-Pyrenees) holds its annual wine festival organised by the impressively titled Syndicat de défense des vins du Madiran. These are robust red wines made predominantly from the Tannat grape.
The festival is held at 4 rue de l’Eglise, 65700 MADIRAN
tel : 05 62 31 90 67
fax : 05 62 31 90 79
This year may be busier than previously, due to the popularity of Dr Roger Corder’s book The Wine Diet which identified the wines of the South West (and Madiran in particular) as especially healthy due to the high concentration of polyphenols. Decanter magazine considered this book as “Quite possibly the most useful wine book published this year“. (A new version is to be published in September 2007 The Red Wine Diet

Gailac (81 Tarn, Midi-Pyrenees) holds its annual 2–day wine fair every August. Red,white and rose wines from lesser known grape varieties such as Mauzac and l’En d’El. 4–5 Aug 07

Recommended vineyard:Domaine de Labarthe

The appellation system in Burgundy get confusing – whereas elsewhere in France an appellation usually covers quite a wide geographical area, in Burgundy an individual plot of land can be classified as a separate appellation. So for example in Meursault, one of the best white wine areas (Chardonnay) with some pretty good Pinot Noir reds, the following are the individual appellations:-

La Barre et le Clos de la Barre.
Les Casse-Tête.
Les Charrons.
Les Chevalières.
Les Clous.
Les Corbins.
Les Criots.
Le Cromin.
Le Limosin.
Les Luchets.
Les Marcausses.
Le Meix-Chavaux.
Les Millerands.
La Monatine.
Le Murger-de-Monthelie.
Les Narvaux.
Les Pellans.
Les Pelles.
Le Pré-de- Manche.
Les Rougeots.
Les Terres-Blanches.
Les Tessons.
Les Tillets.
La Velle.
Les Vireuils.

For more info see http://www.ot-meursault.fr/meursault/fr/lemeursault.htm

Michel and Jocelyne Gendrier at Domaine des Huards are great enthusiasts for these wines - elegant and richly flavoured. Their reputation has spread beyond the local region to Paris - and every weekend you’ll find Parisiens at the domaine, having travelled down the autoroute just to stock up on these wines.
You can be assured of a warm welcome at the domaine (see map). The Gendrier family have owned the domaine since 1846. In 1950 4 hectares of vines were cutlivated, mostly of the the white Romorantin grape. Today the domaine covers 32 hectares and produces 170,000 bottles of wine annually. The soil is predominantly clay and chalk with some areas more sandy.
The Gendriers show a constant concern for the environment, avoiding the use of synthetic products for treating the vines and banning weedkillers and chemical fertilisers. In many ways this is a return to the way it was done 50 years ago, working the soil to conserve the natural potential of the different soils and microbiological diversity of the vineyard.
Michel et Jocelyne Gendrier at Domaine des Huards
41700 Cour-Cheverny (see map)
T:00 33 254 79 97 90
F: 00 33 25479 26 82
E: infos@gendrier.com www.gendrier.com/

Cheverny Blanc AC Domaine des Huards 2001
A delightful and successful blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay - great grassy crispness from the Sauvignon augmented by the rich smoothness of the Chardonnay. Made from 20+ year old vines combining gooseberry, elderflower, grassy Sauvignon fruit with lime blossom floral tones. Ripe fruit with fresh acidity.
2** stars in the Guide Hachette des Vins de France 2007
Reviewed in ANDYS SCRIBBLINGS: “A superbly interesting aroma - very floral with a gravel path edge. These aromas are duplicated on the medium-bodied palate. The Chardonnay component supplies a peachy quality with the cool climate origins revealing themselves in the high/crisp acidity. Scribblings Rating - 88/100″

Cour Cheverny AC Cuvée Francois I Domaine des Huards 2001
Old Vine Romorantin. Unique in France this appellation uses only the ROMORANTIN Grape. This cuvée is produced from vines aged over 50 years old - the earliest planted in 1922! Hence the yields are low and this lends enhanced concentration to the wine. It has a pure and very fresh refined bouquet. Big in the mouth, with tones of lime, butter and fresh walnuts! It is long lasting in the mouth On harvesting one-third of the wine is left in contact with the skins for 15 hours to extract tannin and minerals. After fermentation the wine is left on some of the lees for 5 months and bottled without filtration.”exotic with spice, apricot, ginger, lychee and grapefruit zest. Tangy and long in the mouth with a creamy texture amd a spicy,floral, biscuity finish.”
Recommended in the Guide Hachette des Vins de France 2007.
Reviewed in ANDYS SCRIBBLINGS: “A good lightly brushed golden hue with a really interesting aroma. The palate is quite taught and minerally - austere almost, but there is a nice weight and some lemony-stony fruited flavours. The old vines used here have certainly played their part in imparting complexity and quality. Good Length too. Scribblings Rating - 88/100 ”

Found as a single varietal in the famous whites of the Loire – Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé (plus Quincy , Reuilly and Menetou-Salon) the highly aromatic Sauvignon Blanc also forms part of the white blends of Bordeaux. The wines are noted for their piercing acidity and aromas of gooseberries and cut grass. The grape also used in the sweet wines of Bordeaux, often softened with the use of Semillon.

Zesty, fresh lemons and very dry,grassy finish.
Best with Seafood, creamy pasta dishes, goat’s cheese

Sauvignon Blanc - Found in Loire, Bordeaux , South West France

The famous Bordeaux wines of St.Emilion and Pomerol are predominantly based on Merlot. Here it produces full bodied wines with plum characteristics to the flavour and aroma; similar to Cabernet Sauvignon in many ways but generally less tannic. It is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon. Several regions of Bordeaux see Merlot dominate the plantings. In the wines of Graves , Bourg, Blayes and Fronsac Merlot predominates. While in the South West of France Buzet, Gaillac, Cahors and Bergerac the classic variety adds softness to the local varieties with which it is blended.
Merlot grapes produce generously plummy, medium-bodied reds
Goes best with roast poultry, peppered steak, rich tomato sauces, pork chops
Merlot grown in: Bordeaux , Languedoc , Bergerac, South West France .

Along with Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, is the key ingredient in the white wines of Bordeaux both dry and sweet including the famous wines of Sauternes and Graves. Semillon is also grown elsewhere in the South West most impressively for the sweet wines of Saussignac, Monbazillac, Cadillac, Loupiac and Barsac.

As a grape it tends to be soft and fruity, and sometimes lacking in acidity - which is one reason why it works well when blended with the more acidic Sauvignon Blanc in Bordeaux, Bergerac etc
Semillon is an easy-drinking white grape with lime and creamy toasty flavours
Goes with white fish, light chicken dishes
Semillon Found in Bordeaux and South West France

An aromatic white grape varietal which is the sole variety authorised for use in the Cour-Cheverny Appellation in the Loire Valley - south of Blois.
The wines produced tend to be very dry, with good mineral extraction ( especially from older vines) with citrus (lime), honey and acacia tones.
See Domaine des Huards

Cabernet Sauvignon (red)

One of the three most widely seen varieties both in France and across the world. Its French home is the fine wine lands of the Medoc and Graves in Bordeaux , where it is generally blended with other varieties such as Merlot. Cabernet Sauvignon is very reliable for ageing, more often improving into a truly great wine than any other single varietal. With age, it’s distinctive blackcurrant aroma can develop bouquet nuances of cedar, violets, leather, or cigar box and its typically tannic edge may soften and smooth considerably. It is also grown across the south of the country in the Languedoc producing single varietal wines or again blended. The variety is renowned for it structure, longevity (if of sufficient quality) and for its ability to demonstrate “terroir” characteristics. It has a particular affinity with oak and offers flavours of blackcurrants.

Cabernet Sauvignon the noble red grape producing rich, blackcurrant-loaded red wines - other keywords include capsicum, cedar, vanilla and coffee!

CABERNET SAUVIGNON offers a wide range of aromas and flavours. It tends
towards herbaceousness when not fully ripe with capsicum and grassy undertones, but
as it ripens it develops flavours of blackcurrant. It goes well with oak which lends secondary characters with a range of vanilla, cedar, sandalwood,tobacco, coffee, musk and spicy notes.
Best with roast red meats, mature hard cheeses
Cabernet Sauvignon: grown in Bordeaux , Loire , Languedoc -Rousillon, Bergerac, Buzet, Marmandais, Frontonnais, Gaillac, Madiran and Vins de Pays.

The epic story of the Côtes de Saint-Mont vineyards began in the fourth century BC, when the first plants were imported by the Greeks. It is thus one of the oldest vineyards in France. Then one witnessed an important development from 1050 with the founding of the Saint-Mont Abbey by Benedictine monks. The monks were particularly interested by an area already colonised by the vine. The ‘crus’ developed and these ‘fine wines from Gascony’ were exported to the United Kingdom as early as the 14th century. Today the appellation Côtes de Saint-Mont stretches over 49 villages in the Gers. Wines are considered as ‘discovery wines’ or ‘terroir wines’ and are experiencing a promising revival. As far back as the 11th Century the arrival of Benedictine monks (from the Abbey de Marcillac in Burgundy) helped to improve the wines of the area, and being on one of the roads to Santiago de Compostella they quickly acquired a reputation
In the heart of Gascony (Gascogne) the landscape is of gently rolling hills with good soil and exposure to the sun. The climate is gentle and ideal for maturing grapes in late season.
VDQS is the abbreviation for VIN DÉLIMITÉ DE QUALITÉ SUPERIEURE - a classification which is slightly more generous than full Appellation Controllée (AC) status. As such it is a guarantee that the wines come from a small specific geographical area, and must contain certain minimum percentages of specified grape varieties (usually traditional to the area), and hence conform broadly to a particular style, However, there is more flexibility for the winemaker in yields and the addition of other grape varieties in the blend. We like to think of them mainly as Very Delicious Quaffing Selections, but are also capable of producing some really fine and serious wines. This is another example of the French classification system becoming less relevant, as all three wines which we stock from the Côtes de St Mont are much better than many other wines we have tasted which are classified as “Appellation Controllée!

PRODUCTEURS PLAIMONT. We generally prefer to work with smaller individual domaines, but the Plaimont co-operative is streets ahead of other co-ops - producing excellent and distinctive wines of consistent quality at keen prices. It has had the benefit of good management and leadership, which has ensured that, unlike many co-operatives, it does not work at the comfort level of the weakest members. Instead it has been visionary and innovative, and most importantly places the highest emphasis on wine quality.

Gascony map

The epic story of the Côtes de Saint-Mont vineyards began in the fourth century BC, when the first plants were imported by the Greeks. It is thus one of the oldest vineyards in France. Then one witnessed an important development from 1050 with the founding of the Saint-Mont Abbey by Benedictine monks. The monks were particularly interested by an area already colonised by the vine. The ‘crus’ developed and these ‘fine wines from Gascony’ were exported to the United Kingdom as early as the 14th century. Today the appellation Côtes de Saint-Mont stretches over 49 villages in the Gers. Wines are considered as ‘discovery wines’ or ‘terroir wines’ and are experiencing a promising revival. As far back as the 11th Century the arrival of Benedictine monks (from the Abbey de Marcillac in Burgundy) helped to improve the wines of the area, and being on one of the roads to Santiago de Compostella they quickly acquired a reputation

In the heart of Gascony (Gascogne) the landscape is of gently rolling hills with good soil and exposure to the sun. The climate is gentle and ideal for maturing grapes in late season. VDQS is the abbreviation for VIN DÉLIMITÉ DE QUALITÉ SUPERIEURE - a classification which is slightly more generous than full Appellation Controllée (AC) status. As such it is a guarantee that the wines come from a small specific geographical area, and must contain certain minimum percentages of specified grape varieties (usually traditional to the area), and hence conform broadly to a particular style, However, there is more flexibility for the winemaker in yields and the addition of other grape varieties in the blend. We like to think of them mainly as Very Delicious Quaffing Selections, but are also capable of producing some really fine and serious wines. This is another example of the French classification system becoming less relevant, as all three wines which we stock from the Côtes de St Mont are much better than many other wines we have tasted which are classified as “Appellation Controllée! PRODUCTEURS PLAIMONT. We generally prefer to work with smaller individual domaines, but the Plaimont co-operative is streets ahead of other co-ops - producing excellent and distinctive wines of consistent quality at keen prices. It has had the benefit of good management and leadership, which has ensured that, unlike many co-operatives, it does not work at the comfort level of the weakest members. Instead it has been visionary and innovative, and most importantly places the highest emphasis on wine quality. At the moment this is the only co-operative with which we work. PLAIMONT is a concocted word made from the towns of Plaisance, Aignan, and St Mont, the 3 caves (cellars) of the co-operative. Floc de Gascogne are all produced in this region   Côtes de St Mont, Les Vignes Rétrouvées (dry white)   Côtes de St Mont VDQS, Les Vignes Retrouvees (red)   Côtes de St Mont VDQS,Chateau de Sabazan 1998 (red)   Côtes de Gascogne (Vins de Pays) wines also come from this area   See our new selection of duck and goose products from the South West - foie gras, confits, cassoulet   Hachette Vacances: South West France and the Dordogne Hachette Vacances: South West France and the Dordogne - save 20% on this book CLICK HERE

The New France by Andrew Jefford Save 20%. Andrew Jefford has travelled extensively in each of France’s 14 wine regions to investigate the personalities and producers who have masterminded the resurgence of the French wine industry. His views support our own assertion that France is producing some classy wines, often from beyond the traditionally high profile and expensive “fine” wine regions.CLICK HERE

Our selected books on France, French wine, French food and maps & guides  

PEYLOUBERE - ACCOMODATION - SW FRANCE PEYLOUBERE - Gers, South West France Self-Catering Cottages and Bed & Breakfast Accommodation in a listed 17th Century domaine in Gascony - 35 acres, lakes, pool and Spa Ideal location for visiting Madiran, Jurancon, Côtes de St Mont, Côtes de Gascogne, Armagnac, Floc de Gascogne vineyards