Between the Landes forest, the Garonne and the Pyrenees, the Gascony hillsides cover the Gers dePartment and part of the Landes and Lot-et-Garonne departments. The vineyards occupy the same area as Armagnac, a brandy still produced in the region, but whose volumes have declined in favour of vins de pays (now PGI). Under the influence of a mild oceanic Climate, it is fairly wet in the west, drier in the east, especially in summer. In the west, the subsoil of tawny sands is of marine origin, covered with boulbènes; in the east, it gradually gives way to molasse, a rock resulting from the erosion of the Pyrenees.
The soils are either stony and chalky (peyrusquets) or clayey and Deep (terrefort), retaining water well. The Condom region, the driest, has its own name (Condomois). The main Grape varieties cultivated are white: Colombard and Ugni blanc, the varieties of armagnac. Generally associated, sometimes completed by Sauvignon and Chardonnay, they give lively white wines with an exuberant fruitiness.
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.
white wines from the region of Gascogne go well with generally quite well with dishes of shellfish, vegetarian or poultry such as recipes of wok of pointed cabbage with shrimps and lemongrass bo bun style, vegan leek and tofu quiche or chicken noodles.
On the nose in the region of Gascogne often reveals types of flavors of pineapple, citrus or apples and sometimes also flavors of peach, green apple or lime. In the mouth in the region of Gascogne is a with a nice freshness.
