Wines made from Douce noire grapes of Vin de France
Discover the best wines made with Douce noire as a single variety or as a blend of Vin de France.
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.
Vin de France is the most basic level of quality for wines from France. These are generally uncomplicated everyday drinks - most often blends, but perhaps also Varietal wines based on a well-known Grape variety such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. Wines from France are those that do not meet the criteria stipulated by the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) or Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) laws (see information on French wine labels). This may be because the vineyards are outside the delimited production areas or because the grape varieties or winemaking techniques used do not conform to the rules of the local appellations.