South West Wine Information
Between the Bordeaux region and the Pyrénées, the South-West is a traditional wine region, probably even oldest than its neighbor.
Wines from the South-West have often been confused with Bordeaux wines. But one must not conclude that those wines are of a lower quality. Virgil and Horatius have praised wines from South West high and sometimes low!
Nowadays wines from South West are of excellent quality for the value and should be recommended because of their unique personality based on local history and traditions.
The most basic information on the wine of South West are:
Location:
From the edge of the Bordeaux region to the Pyrénées mountains
Size:
Midi-Pyrénées is the biggest region in France
Size of the vineyards:
16,000 hectares (40,000 acres)
Grapes in South West:
Red: Cabernet, Merlot, Tannat
White: Sémillon, Sauvignon, Ugni Blanc
Production:
270 million bottles
3% of French wine production
Type of Wine:
Full body red wine (Madiran)
Dry aromatic white wine (Jurançon)
Viscous sweet white wine (Monbazillac)
South West Wine and food:
Red wine: Cassoulet, Roasted duck
Dry white wine: River fish, White meat
Sweet white wine: Foie gras, Aperitif
