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.
Grolleau noir is a grape variety that originated in France (Loire Valley). 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 large bunches of grapes of medium size. Grolleau noir can be found in several vineyards: Loire Valley, South West, Cognac, Bordeaux, Provence & Corsica, Rhone Valley, Armagnac, Languedoc & Roussillon.
wines from the region of Vin de Pays go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, game (deer, venison) or shellfish such as recipes of light stuffed tomatoes, cassoulet of the sea or scallops with coconut cream.
