It may lack the glitz and glamour of areas in the south of France, but the country’s southwest is a beautiful region, much loved by visitors from around the world. Yet, despite the region’s popularity as a tourist destination, the wines of the southwest have had a low profile abroad – a great pity given the region’s cornucopia of terroirs, its huge and diverse range of unusual grape varieties and wine styles, and its inspirational winemakers.
In a recent article, Decanter contributing editor, DWWA Co-Chair and leading wine writer Andrew Jefford posed some questions: ‘What is France’s greatest undiscovered wine region? Where do you find the greatest value for money in French wine? Where would you look around France to find potential fine-wine quality at affordable prices? Three questions from me, and the same answer to each: southwest France.’
INTRIGUING COMPLEXITIES
So, what is it that makes the southwest such a rich source of alternative, great-value and high-quality wines? It is a region shaped by both similarity and diversity. The similarities include the influence of the maritime climate driven from the Atlantic ocean; the unremittingly beautiful countryside ranging from the foothills of the Pyrenees to the limestone causses (limestone plateaux and gorges) of the Tarn, Dordogne and Lot; the influence of major, westward-flowing rivers; and historical factors – most importantly the legacy of the Romans, the influence of the church, the changes in the wine trade and the effects of phylloxera.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 2022 من Decanter.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 2022 من Decanter.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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