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.
Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest red grape varieties in Bordeaux. The Libourne region is its terroir where it develops best. The terroirs of Saint-Emilion and Fronsac allow it to mature and develop its best range of aromas. It is also the majority in many blends. The very famous Château Cheval Blanc, for example, uses 60% Cabernet Franc. The wines produced with Cabernet Franc are medium in colour with fine tannins and subtle aromas of small red fruits and spices. When blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, it brings complexity and a bouquet of aromas to the wine. It produces fruity wines that can be drunk quite quickly, but whose great vintages can be kept for a long time. It is an earlier grape variety than Cabernet Sauvignon, which means that it is planted as far north as the Loire Valley. In Anjou, it is also used to make sweet rosé wines. Cabernet Franc is now used in some twenty countries in Europe and throughout the world.
wines from the region of Vin de Savoie go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or vegetarian such as recipes of north welsch, fresh tuna with sesame seeds or quiche with leeks and fresh salmon from flo.
On the nose in the region of Vin de Savoie often reveals types of flavors of non oak, oak or gooseberry and sometimes also flavors of vegetal, tree fruit or citrus fruit.
