Vin de Savoie (often written simply as "Savoie") is the main appellation of the Savoie region in the far east of France. This mountainous region located west of the Alps has distinctive wine styles that are rarely seen outside their territory of origin. Most are Dry white wines made from the Altesse, Jacquère and Chasselas grapes. Savoy wines are often described as distinctly "alpine", citing their fresh, Mineral characteristics.
The AOC Vin de Savoie was created in 1973, along with the appellation Roussette de Savoie, which covers the region's Altesse grape wines. Wines labelled simply as Savoie or Vin de Savoie, without an associated cru name, can be white, red, rosé and even Sparkling. White wines are dominated by the most common grape variety in Savoie, Jacquere, but may also contain Chardonnay, Aligote, Mondeuse Blanche, Veltliner Rouge Precoce, Chasselas, Gringet and Altesse. To complicate matters, Marsanne and Verdesse are also allowed, but only in the administrative department of Isère.
However, this represents only a tiny fraction of the appellation's surface area.
Marsanne is a white grape variety that originated in Montélimar in the Drôme, several centuries ago. Marsanne is also found in Cassis, Savoie, Languedoc-Roussillon and Saint-Péray in the Ardèche, where it produces remarkable sparkling wines. The warm, sunny climate of the Rhone Valley, Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence, as well as the dry, stony soil, are ideal conditions for its development. Its bunches are quite large and provide small, juicy berries that are sensitive to grey rot and strong winds. These two grape varieties complement each other perfectly: together they give light wines with little acidity, aromas of yellow fruit, white fruit and flowers with notes of honey and liquorice. This is for example what the appellations Saint-Péray, Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Joseph, Côtes-du-Vallée du Rhône, Corbières, or Cassis express... which represent about 700 hectares.
red wines from the region of Vin de Savoie go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, game (deer, venison) or mature and hard cheese such as recipes of quick and easy monkfish tail, rabbit marinated with herbs and mustard or mashed potatoes with chastillon cheese.
On the nose in the region of Vin de Savoie often reveals types of flavors of non oak, oak or red fruit and sometimes also flavors of cherry, blackberry or pepper.
