Ep 532: The Wines of the French Pyrénées (obscure but very tasty and cool!)

Wine for Normal People

Ok, I know this is an obscure show and I promise we’ll get back to mainstream stuff next week, but there is a reason for doing this show now. PLUS, it's super dorky stuff and that's awesome!

I was putting together the Wine Access shipment with Serge Doré that is going out soon and one of the wines was from the small appellation of Saint Mont. I pride myself on having an awareness of most appellations in France, but I didn’t have a clue where or what Saint Mont was, so this show is as much for me as it is for you!

In the show, I do an overview of the regions, which have a lot in common, so it won't overwhelm you to listen to (I hope!).

Source: https://www.vignobles-sudouest.fr/us/appellations/

_________________________________________________________The foothills or the Pyrénées have six wine regions, all with some similarities. All are in Gascony, a vast area in southwest France that stretches from the Pyrénées Mountains along the French-Spanish border.

The regions I discuss in the show are: Béarn, Madiran and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh, Jurançon, Saint Mont, and Irouléguy. They are linked by common terroir, common history, and common wines. The grapes are mostly all native, unique, and obscure (albeit often they make really tasty wine!)

Here are what they share:

• A mild, consistent maritime climate with a regular foehn wind – a dry, warm southern wind that prolongs the growing season.
• Varied soil types, but many of the vineyards have some pebbles and stones from colluvial wash of the Pyrénées.
• Grapes: Reds: Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc (Bouchy, here), and some Pinenc (commonly known as Fer Servadou) Whites: The main whites are Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng. Other grapes used are Petit Courbu (lower alcohol and acidity tames the Mansengs), Courbu (for sweet wines) and grapes like Lauzet and Camarlet.

In the rest of the show I get into the details of the regions -- from history to terroir to the interesting wines available. If you are looking to dork out and just learn about something new, this is the show for you. I know it's off the beaten path but there is a lot of history and a lot of great wine.

I wanted to learn about this region and I brought you along for the ride -- thank you for indulging me!

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