Wines made from Douce noire grapes of Savoie
Discover the best wines made with Douce noire as a single variety or as a blend of Savoie.
The douce noire, as its name indicates, is a black grape variety. It originated in the region between the valleys of the Isère and Saône rivers. Often in autumn, its foliage takes on a red hue. The bunches of the black sweet are larger than average. They are compact and winged. Spherical, its berries are of normal size. The flesh is juicy, soft and sweet. Although it is on the verge of extinction, this variety is still present in some Jura vineyards. Some call it corbeau, especially in Savoie, but it has other names such as gros noir, plant de Calarin and pecot. The sweet black is associated with an average budding and a late first ripening. Hardy and vigorous, it adapts to poorly irrigated soils. This variety produces a wine with low alcohol content, flat, soft and without much finesse. It should be consumed within the year. Sweet black is generally grown with Persian. It must be associated with other grape varieties to be better. Nowadays, this variety is not multiplied at all.
Savoie is a wine region in eastern France, in the mountainous areas just South of Lake Geneva and on the border with Switzerland. The location and geography of the region has very much defined its Character, which is fragmented, hilly and slightly Swiss. This is evident in the fresh, crisp white wines produced here, as well as in the labels of the region's wines. Many bear a white cross on a red background - the flag of Switzerland and Savoy.