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| sub regions = Dordogne river areas, Garonne river areas, Gascony, Basque Country
| sub regions = [[Dordogne (river)|Dordogne river areas]], [[Garonne|Garonne river areas]], [[Gascony]], [[Basque Country (greater region)|Basque Country]]
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'''South West France''' or in [[French language|French]] ''Sud-Ouest'', is a [[wine region]] in [[France]] covering several wine-producing areas situated respectively inland from, and south of, the wine region of [[Bordeaux wine|Bordeaux]].<ref>[http://www.terroir-france.com/wine/sw_info.htm Terroir-France: South West Wine Information], accessed on February 23, 2008</ref> These areas, which have a total of 16,000 [[hectare]]s (40,000 [[acre]]s) of vineyards, consist of several discontinuous wine "islands" throughout the [[Aquitaine]] region (where Bordeaux region itself is situated), and more or less to the west of the [[Midi-Pyrénées]] region.
'''South West France''', or in [[French language|French]] ''Sud-Ouest'', is a [[wine region]] in [[France]] covering several wine-producing areas situated respectively inland from, and south of, the wine region of [[Bordeaux wine|Bordeaux]].<ref>[http://www.terroir-france.com/wine/sw_info.htm Terroir-France: South West Wine Information], accessed on February 23, 2008</ref> These areas, which have a total of 16,000 [[hectare]]s (40,000 [[acre]]s) of vineyards, consist of several discontinuous wine "islands" throughout the [[Aquitaine]] region (where Bordeaux region itself is situated), and more or less to the west of the [[Midi-Pyrénées]] region.


Thus, South West France covers both the upstream areas around the rivers [[Dordogne River|Dordogne]] and [[Garonne]] (which also flow through Bordeaux where they combine to form the [[Gironde estuary]]) and their tributaries, as well as the wine-producing areas of [[Gascony]] including [[Béarn]], and the [[Northern Basque Country]]. However, only areas closer to the [[Atlantic]] than to the [[Mediterranean]] are included in the region, with the city of [[Toulouse]] being situated roughly halfway between the South West wine region and the [[Languedoc-Roussillon]] wine region on the Mediterranean.
Thus, South West France covers both the upstream areas around the rivers [[Dordogne (river)|Dordogne]] and [[Garonne]] (which also flow through Bordeaux where they combine to form the [[Gironde estuary]]) and their tributaries, as well as the wine-producing areas of [[Gascony]] including [[Béarn]], and the [[Northern Basque Country]]. However, only areas closer to the [[Atlantic]] than to the [[Mediterranean]] are included in the region, with the city of [[Toulouse]] being situated roughly halfway between the South West wine region and the [[Languedoc-Roussillon]] wine region on the Mediterranean.


The brandy-producing region [[Armagnac (drink)|Armagnac]] is situated within Gascony and the wine region of South West France, and some of its [[grapes]] are used to make [[Vin de Pays]] under the designation ''Vin de Pays de [[Côtes de Gascogne]]'' or mixed with Armagnac to produce the mistelle [[Floc de Gascogne]].
The brandy-producing region [[Armagnac (drink)|Armagnac]] is situated within Gascony and the wine region of South West France, and some of its [[grapes]] are used to make [[Vin de Pays]] under the designation ''Vin de Pays de [[Côtes de Gascogne]]'' or mixed with Armagnac to produce the mistelle [[Floc de Gascogne]].
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==History==
==History==
The south-west region was first cultivated by the [[Ancient Rome (wine)|Romans]] and had a flourishing wine trade long before the Bordeaux area was planted. As the port city of [[Bordeaux]] became established, wines from the "High Country" would descend via the [[tributaries]] of the Dordogne and Garonne to be sent to markets along the [[Atlantic]] coast.<ref name="Johnson atlas pg 112-115">H. Johnson & J. Robinson ''The World Atlas of Wine'' pg 112-115 Mitchell Beazley Publishing 2005 ISBN 1-84000-332-4</ref> The climate of the inland region was generally warmer and more favorable than in Bordeaux, allowing the grapes to be [[harvest (wine)|harvested]] earlier and the wines to be of a stronger alcohol level. Many Bordeaux wine merchants saw the wines of the "High Country" as a threat to their economic interest and during the 13th & 14th century a set of codes, known as the ''[[police des vins]]'', were established which regulated the use of the port of Bordeaux for wine trading. The ''police des vins'' stated that no wine could be traded out of Bordeaux till the majority of Bordelais wine had already been sold. This had a devastating effect on the wine industry of the High Country with barrels of wines being stranded at Bordeaux warehouses for several weeks or months before they could be sold at much lower prices due to that year's market already being saturated with wine. In many years another [[vintage]] would actually take place before the "High Country" wines were sold.<ref name="Johnson pg 143-149">H. Johnson ''Vintage: The Story of Wine'' pg 144 Simon and Schuster 1989 ISBN 0-671-68702-6</ref>
The south-west region was first cultivated by the [[Ancient Rome (wine)|Romans]] and had a flourishing wine trade long before the Bordeaux area was planted. As the port city of [[Bordeaux]] became established, wines from the "High Country" would descend via the [[tributaries]] of the Dordogne and Garonne to be sent to markets along the [[Atlantic]] coast.<ref name="Johnson atlas pg 112-115">H. Johnson & J. Robinson ''The World Atlas of Wine'' pg 112-115 Mitchell Beazley Publishing 2005 {{ISBN|1-84000-332-4}}</ref> The climate of the inland region was generally warmer and more favorable than in Bordeaux, allowing the grapes to be [[harvest (wine)|harvested]] earlier and the wines to be of a stronger alcohol level. Many Bordeaux wine merchants saw the wines of the "High Country" as a threat to their economic interest and during the 13th & 14th century a set of codes, known as the ''[[police des vins]]'', were established which regulated the use of the port of Bordeaux for wine trading. The ''police des vins'' stated that no wine could be traded out of Bordeaux until the majority of Bordelais wine had already been sold. This had a devastating effect on the wine industry of the High Country with barrels of wines being stranded at Bordeaux warehouses for several weeks or months before they could be sold at much lower prices due to that year's market already being saturated with wine. In many years another [[vintage]] would actually take place before the "High Country" wines were sold.<ref name="Johnson pg 143-149">H. Johnson ''Vintage: The Story of Wine'' pg 144 Simon and Schuster 1989 {{ISBN|0-671-68702-6}}</ref>


==Appellations in South West France==
==Appellations in South West France==
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===Garonne subregion===
===Garonne subregion===
⚫
* [[Brulhois AOC]]

* [[Buzet AOC]]
* [[Buzet AOC]]
* [[Cahors AOC]]
* [[Cahors AOC]]
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* [[Gaillac AOC]]
* [[Gaillac AOC]]
* [[Marcillac AOC]]
* [[Marcillac AOC]]

<small>
* [[Coteaux du Quercy VDQS]]
* [[Coteaux du Quercy VDQS]]
⚫
* [[Côtes du Brulhois VDQS]]
* [[Côtes de Millau VDQS]]
* [[Côtes de Millau VDQS]]
* [[Saint-Sardos VDQS]]
* [[Saint-Sardos VDQS]]
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* [[Vins d'Entraygues et du Fel VDQS]]
* [[Vins d'Entraygues et du Fel VDQS]]
* [[Vins d'Estaing VDQS]]
* [[Vins d'Estaing VDQS]]
</small>

⚫
===Gascony subregion===


=== Gascony and Pyrenean subregions ===
Gascony lands are close to the Adour river, Béarn and Basque lands are closer to the Pyrenees
⚫
==== Gascony lands ====
⚫
* [[Saint-Mont VDQS]]
⚫
* [[Tursan VDQS]]
==== Gascony and Béarn lands ====
* [[Madiran AOC]]
* [[Madiran AOC]]
* [[Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh AOC]]
* [[Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh AOC]]
* [[Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec AOC]]
* [[Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec AOC]]
⚫
==== Béarn lands ====

<small>
⚫
* [[Saint-Mont VDQS]]
⚫
* [[Tursan VDQS]]
</small>

⚫
=== Béarn subregion ===

* [[Béarn AOC]]
* [[Béarn AOC]]
* [[Jurançon AOC]]
* [[Jurançon AOC]]
⚫
==== Basque Country land ====

⚫
=== Basque Country subregion ===

* [[Irouléguy AOC]]
* [[Irouléguy AOC]]


== Common grape varieties ==
== Common grape varieties ==

The following grape varieties are commonly found in at least one sub-region or appellation of South West France.
The following grape varieties are commonly found in at least one sub-region or appellation of South West France.


* [[Abouriou]]
* [[Abouriou]]
* [[Arrouya noir]]
* [[Arrufiac]]
* [[Arrufiac]]
* [[Baco blanc]]
* [[Baco blanc]]
* [[Cabernet franc]]
* [[Bouchalès]]
* [[Cabernet sauvignon]]
* [[Cabernet Franc]]
* [[Cabernet]]
* [[Cabernet Sauvignon]]
* [[Clairette Blanche]]
* [[Clairette blanche]]
* [[Colombard]]
* [[Colombard]]
* [[Courbu]]
* [[Courbu]]
* [[Duras (wine grape)|Duras]]
* [[Duras (grape)|Duras]]
* [[Fer]]
* [[Fer]]
* [[Folle blanche]]
* [[Folle blanche]]
* [[Gros Manseng]].
* [[Gros Manseng]]
* [[Jurançon (wine grape)|Jurançon]]
* [[Jurançon (grape)|Jurançon]]
* [[Len de l'El]]
* [[Len de l'El]]
* [[Malbec]]
* [[Malbec]]
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* [[Blauer Portugieser|Portugias bleu]]
* [[Blauer Portugieser|Portugias bleu]]
* [[Raffiat de Moncade]]
* [[Raffiat de Moncade]]
* [[Sauvignon Blanc]]
* [[Sauvignon blanc]]
* [[Sémillon]]
* [[Sémillon]]
* [[Tannat]]
* [[Tannat]]
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==See also==
==See also==

* [[French wine]]
* [[French wine]]


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== External links ==
== External links ==
* [http://www.civso.com/ Official website of the South West France wine organisation CIVSO], which covers the Garonne and Gascony subregions
* [http://www.civso.com/ Official website of the South West France wine organisation CIVSO], which covers the Garonne and Gascony subregions
* [http://www.lefarat.com/wine-tours-south-west-france/ Wine Tours In South West France], covering local grape varieties and regions such as Brulhois and Armagnac
* [http://southwestfrancewines.com South West France wines]


{{coord missing|France}}
{{coord missing|France}}


[[Category:Wine regions of France]]
[[Category:Wine regions of France]]
{{Wines}}

{{French wine regions}}
[[de:Sud-Ouest]]
{{Wine by country}}
[[es:Viñedo del Suroeste]]
{{Portal bar|Wine|France}}
[[fr:Vignoble du Sud-Ouest]]
[[id:Kebun anggur Sud-Ouest]]
[[sv:Sud-Ouest]]

Latest revision as of 15:52, 8 January 2023

For other uses, see South West France.
South West France
Wine region
Official nameSud-Ouest
TypeRegion
CountryFrance
Sub-regionsDordogne river areas, Garonne river areas, Gascony, Basque Country
Size of planted vineyards16,000 ha

South West France, or in French Sud-Ouest, is a wine region in France covering several wine-producing areas situated respectively inland from, and south of, the wine region of Bordeaux.[1] These areas, which have a total of 16,000 hectares (40,000 acres) of vineyards, consist of several discontinuous wine "islands" throughout the Aquitaine region (where Bordeaux region itself is situated), and more or less to the west of the Midi-Pyrénées region.

Thus, South West France covers both the upstream areas around the rivers Dordogne and Garonne (which also flow through Bordeaux where they combine to form the Gironde estuary) and their tributaries, as well as the wine-producing areas of Gascony including Béarn, and the Northern Basque Country. However, only areas closer to the Atlantic than to the Mediterranean are included in the region, with the city of Toulouse being situated roughly halfway between the South West wine region and the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region on the Mediterranean.

The brandy-producing region Armagnac is situated within Gascony and the wine region of South West France, and some of its grapes are used to make Vin de Pays under the designation Vin de Pays de Côtes de Gascogne or mixed with Armagnac to produce the mistelle Floc de Gascogne.

South West France is a rather heterogeneous region in terms of its wines and how they are marketed. It is rare to see wines being sold as Vins du Sud-Ouest. Rather, the smaller areas and individual appellations market their wines under their own (smaller) umbrella, in contrast with common practice in e.g. the Bordeaux region.

The areas closest to Bordeaux produce wines in a style similar to those of Bordeaux, and largely from the same grape varieties. Further south, wines are still rather similar to those of Bordeaux, but several grape varieties not used in Bordeaux are common, such as Tannat. Finally, in the areas closest to the Pyrenees, wines are made from local varieties, such as Gros Manseng and Petit Manseng.

History

[edit]

The south-west region was first cultivated by the Romans and had a flourishing wine trade long before the Bordeaux area was planted. As the port city of Bordeaux became established, wines from the "High Country" would descend via the tributaries of the Dordogne and Garonne to be sent to markets along the Atlantic coast.[2] The climate of the inland region was generally warmer and more favorable than in Bordeaux, allowing the grapes to be harvested earlier and the wines to be of a stronger alcohol level. Many Bordeaux wine merchants saw the wines of the "High Country" as a threat to their economic interest and during the 13th & 14th century a set of codes, known as the police des vins, were established which regulated the use of the port of Bordeaux for wine trading. The police des vins stated that no wine could be traded out of Bordeaux until the majority of Bordelais wine had already been sold. This had a devastating effect on the wine industry of the High Country with barrels of wines being stranded at Bordeaux warehouses for several weeks or months before they could be sold at much lower prices due to that year's market already being saturated with wine. In many years another vintage would actually take place before the "High Country" wines were sold.[3]

Appellations in South West France

[edit]
Map of South West France with the various appellations of the region.

South West France includes the following Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) and Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDQS) designations.

Dordogne/Bergerac, subregion

[edit]

Garonne subregion

[edit]

Gascony and Pyrenean subregions

[edit]

Gascony lands are close to the Adour river, Béarn and Basque lands are closer to the Pyrenees

Gascony lands

[edit]

Gascony and Béarn lands

[edit]

Béarn lands

[edit]

Basque Country land

[edit]

Common grape varieties

[edit]

The following grape varieties are commonly found in at least one sub-region or appellation of South West France.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Terroir-France: South West Wine Information, accessed on February 23, 2008
  2. ^ H. Johnson & J. Robinson The World Atlas of Wine pg 112-115 Mitchell Beazley Publishing 2005 ISBN 1-84000-332-4
  3. ^ H. Johnson Vintage: The Story of Wine pg 144 Simon and Schuster 1989 ISBN 0-671-68702-6
[edit]

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