The South-West is a large territorial area of France, comprising the administrative regions of Aquitaine, Limousin and Midi-Pyrénées. However, as far as the French wine area is concerned, the South-West region is a little less clear-cut, as it excludes Bordeaux - a wine region so productive that it is de facto an area in its own right. The wines of the South West have a Long and eventful history. The local rivers play a key role, as they were the main trade routes to bring wines from traditional regions such as Cahors, Bergerac, Buzet and Gaillac to their markets.
The last Trading post before the wines left for the lucrative markets of Britain was the wine town and port of Bordeaux. Britain has been a historic trading partner for the region, which was nominally British for a period following the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine to Henry II of Britain. However, Bordeaux businessmen saw the wines in transit as competition for their own local products and took strong measures to ensure their financial security. The result is the French wine map we know today, with Bordeaux being promoted and the other wine regions of the South West struggling to gain recognition for the diversity and Character of their wines.
This history also explains why the Bordeaux Grapes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc are now three of the best-known grape varieties in the world, while traditional South West grapes such as Fer Servadou, Len de l'El and Tannat are relatively unknown.
Gros Manseng blanc is a grape variety that originated in France (Netherlands). It produces a variety of grape specially used for wine making. It is rare to find this grape to eat on our tables. This variety of grape is characterized by medium-sized bunches and small grapes. Gros Manseng blanc can be found in several vineyards: South-West, Languedoc & Roussillon, Cognac, Bordeaux, Armagnac, Provence & Corsica, Rhone valley, Loire valley, Savoie & Bugey, Beaujolais.
white wines from the region of Pyrenées go well with generally quite well with dishes of shellfish, vegetarian or poultry such as recipes of shrimp risotto with curry, quiche with bacon and gruyère cheese or turkey stuffed with chestnuts.
On the nose in the region of Pyrenées often reveals types of flavors of citrus, apples or peach and sometimes also flavors of green apple, lime or minerality.
In the face of rising temperatures and more frequent droughts, what can wine producers do to adapt their viticultural practices? Catalan producer Torres, which has emerged during the past decade as one of the global wine sector’s leading pioneers in tackling climate change, is experimenting with a range of creative ideas. Planting vines at higher altitudes is one option. The company is investing in cooler vineyards high in the mountains of the region. They have planted vines in Tremp at 950m in ...
The whisky celebrates a landmark 225th anniversary for the Kirkwall-based distillery, which was originally founded by Magnus Eunson and officially established in 1798. The spirit was originally laid down in 1968, into four refill sherry butts and six refill sherry hogsheads, which were then combined in February 2008, when they were refilled into first-fill European sherry butts, where the whisky continued to mature. ‘Because the whisky was maturing in refill casks for so long, it allowed the new ...
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