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.
Pinot noir is an important red grape variety in Burgundy and Champagne, and its reputation is well known! Great wines such as the Domaine de la Romanée Conti elaborate their wines from this famous grape variety, and make it a great variety. When properly vinified, pinot noit produces red wines of great finesse, with a wide range of aromas depending on its advancement (fruit, undergrowth, leather). it is also the only red grape variety authorized in Alsace. Pinot Noir is not easily cultivated beyond our borders, although it has enjoyed some success in Oregon, the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
sweet wines from the region of South West go well with generally quite well with dishes of rich fish (salmon, tuna etc), shellfish or sweet desserts such as recipes of skate wings with capers, calamari with chorizo or brownies with nuts.
On the nose in the region of South West often reveals types of flavors of grass, peach or caramel and sometimes also flavors of non oak, oak or passion fruit. In the mouth in the region of South West is a powerful with a nice freshness.
The first tranche of the range, drawn from the stocks of the Gordon family, owner of Glenfiddich and Balvenie distiller William Grant & Sons, sold out within weeks of its release in May this year. The second batch again comprises eight whiskies – four each in The Charles Gordon Collection and The Legacy Collection – priced from £950 to £4,900 per bottle. All are exclusively available to pre-order online. The rarest of the autumn releases is ‘A Singular Blend’, a combination of grain and malt ...
It had been possible to produce sparkling wines in Rioja, certified as DO Cava, since the creation of Spain’s main sparkling wine entity. But this fact was often unknown to consumers given that 95% of Cava is produced in the Catalunya region. The area for production of Cava in Rioja is however limited to only 18 of the nearly 150 municipalities within the entire DO zone. In a bid to better show point of origin, the new subzone labelling of Cava that was approved in 2021 now refers to the p ...
Trade group Wine Australia delivered an estimate of 1.32 million tonnes for the overall vintage, which is 26% below the 10-year average. It is the lowest vintage recorded since 2000, and producers across the country reported that conditions were the most challenging in at least 20 years. Australia was hit by a third consecutive La Niña event, which led to the wettest year since 2011 and the coolest year since 2012. Relentless rainfall throughout the winter and spring across much of Southeastern ...
