Vin de Pays (VDP), the French national equivalent of PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) at the European level, is a quality category of French wines, positioned between Vin de Table (VDT) and Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC). This layer of the French appellation system was initially introduced in September 1968 by the INAO, the official appellation authority. It underwent several early revisions in the 1970s, followed by substantial changes in September 2000 and again in 2009, when all existing VDT titles were automatically registered with the European Union as PGI. Producers retain the choice of using either the VDP or PGI titles on their labels, or both - in the form "IGP-Vin de Pays".
There are now more than 150 VDP/IGP titles, mainly covering the southern third of France. The "Vin de Pays" level is intended to benefit both consumers and wine producers. It allows consumers to know clearly where a wine comes from, while producers are empowered to produce wine outside the constraints of traditional AOC laws. The most obvious freedoms are the higher yields allowed and a more comprehensive list of permitted Grape varieties.
Fer or Fer Servadou, which means "easy to keep" in Occitan, or Mansois in Aveyron or Braucol in Gaillac, is a black grape variety grown in the southwest. It owes its name to its shoots and wood, which are "hard as iron", with medium-sized bunches and firm, juicy berries, and is characterized by its herbaceous taste (which is also found in Cabernet Franc). Iron is a grape variety resistant to frost and disease. Its buds come out late, but its growth accelerates and it matures quite quickly. For a good production, it prefers long pruning. Iron is used alone for the AOC Marcillac wines and in blends for the wines of the Gaillac, Madiran, Béarn and Fronton appellations. These wines have a deep colour, expressive tannins, they are round and fruity (blackcurrant, raspberry and green pepper...)
red wines from the region of Vin de Pays go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, game (deer, venison) or spicy food such as recipes of american style beef marinade, duck legs with honey and orange or shrimp with curry express.
On the nose in the region of Vin de Pays often reveals types of flavors of cherry, earth or oak and sometimes also flavors of spices, red fruit or leather. In the mouth in the region of Vin de Pays is a powerful with a nice balance between acidity and tannins.
