France’s Southern Bounty

Crossing the country from west to east, France has an embarrassment of riches in its southern wine regions. From the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean Sea, so many great regions lie in the south of the country.

• The center of the Southern Rhône Valley sits just some 50 miles above the Mediterranean. Known for its reds, it features Grenache centric blends with Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault, and other red grapes.

• The Languedoc-Roussillon region on the eastern edge of France’s southern spur as it goes down into the Iberian Peninsula is actually a wine region duo. The overwhelming majority of it is the Languedoc with some remaining ten percent being Roussillon. Together, they are, actually, France’s largest wine producing region, containing multiple climates and soil types. We love the Languedoc, specifically, because it’s one of France’s more innovative regions, and just over a third of all of France’s organic wine comes from there.

• The western edge of Bordeaux comes off the Gironde estuary that drains into the Atlantic and is, admittedly, in the southern edge of central France. Still, the region quickly dips south following the Garonne and Dordogne rivers. We’re comfortable calling it a part of southern France.

• Bumping against Bordeaux’s eastern edge is the South-West area — a conglomeration of regions — Côtes de Gascogne, Cognac, Jurançon, Cahors, and others.

This Wine Wednesday, we taste some wines from regions in southern France. Please join us for this free walk-up tasting, running from 5:00 - 6:30 PM.