Southwest France | Wine Terms

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Southwest France

French wine region with about 32,000 vineyard acres located in the country’s southwestern quadrant between BORDEAUX and the Pyrenees. Although technically Bordeaux and COGNAC lie in this quadrant, they are excluded from the description of this area. The Southwest France region, however, does include many other well-known APPELLATIONS. On Bordeaux’s eastern flank are BERGERAC AC and the smaller ACs within its boundaries (MONBAZILLAC, MONTRAVEL, PÉCHARMANT, ROSETTE, and SAUSSIGGION), along with the CÔTES DE DURAS AC and the CÔTES DU MARMANDAIS AC. To the southeast of these areas and right next to ARMAGNAC is BUZET AC. To the northeast of Buzet is CAHORS AC and MARCILLAC AC. Heading southeast is GAILLAC AC, which is northeast of Toulouse. Just southwest of it is CÔTES DU FRONTONNAIS AC. In the southwest part of this region are the ACs of PACHERENC DU VIC BILH, MADIRAN, JURANÇON, and BÉARN, and in the far southwest corner, nestled in the Pyrenees Mountains adjacent to the Spanish border, is the IROULÉGUY AC. Joining these ACs are a number of areas with VDQS status. Southwest France is a large area, and there are a variety of climatic conditions, grape VARIETIES, and wine styles produced. Growing areas near Bordeaux grow varieties similar to those cultivated there— CABERNET SAUVIGNON, CABERNET FRANC, MERLOT, MALBEC, PETIT VERDOT, SAUVIGNON BLANC, SÉMILLON, and MUSCADELLE. In other parts of the region, you’ll find a unique collection of local varieties including Arrufiac, Baroque, Courbu, Duras, FER, Jurançon, Len de L’elh, Petit and Gros Manseng, Mauzac, Négrette, and Tannat. In general, the red wines are full-bodied (see BODY) and slightly ROUGH and TANNIC. White wines range from dry to sweet; some areas produce wines from BOTRYTIS CINEREA-infected grapes that are decent imitations of SAUTERNES wines in good years.

Related Links: Bé, Cahors AC, Juranç, Pacherenc du Vic Bilh AC

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