SECRET TREASURES OF SOUTHWEST FRANCE
Ancient vines are an undeniable link between place and grape, and they serve as the bedrock of wines from Southwest France. Many of these grew wild; others found places where they would thrive after Roman soldiers or medieval troubadours carried them through hills and valleys.
Eventually, some of these indigenous varieties traveled the world. Grapes like Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Tannat are rooted in this hidden gem of a region.
The Southwest’s native niches are bound by the Atlantic to the west and approach the Mediterranean in the east. They follow rivers from the Pyrenees border with Spain and the Massif Central northwest to Bordeaux and Bayonne.
This land also holds stories of grapes rarely found elsewhere, the cast of which is enormous.
Some of these varieties have the makings of international fame, like aromatic white Petit Manseng and red Fer Servadou. Others are tiny productions from old vines made by obsessed producers.
Some local varieties that all but disappeared are now being revived by growers who revel in
