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.
Clairette rosé is a grape variety that originated in France (Provence). It produces a variety of grape used for wine making. However, it can also be found on our tables! Note that this grape variety can also be used for the elaboration of eaux de vie. This variety of vine is characterized by medium to large bunches of grapes of medium size. Clairette rosé can be found in several vineyards: South-West, Cognac, Bordeaux, Rhône Valley, Provence & Corsica, Languedoc & Roussillon, Loire Valley, Savoie & Bugey, Beaujolais, Armagnac.
white wines from the region of Vin de Pays go well with generally quite well with dishes of rich fish (salmon, tuna etc), shellfish or vegetarian such as recipes of sea bass wrapped in salt crust, scallops in coral sauce or ham and comté quiche.
On the nose in the region of Vin de Pays often reveals types of flavors of grapefruit, citrus or minerality and sometimes also flavors of apricot, lemon or honeysuckle. In the mouth in the region of Vin de Pays is a with a nice freshness.
