Wine Department: The Less Familiar Wines of the Jura, Savoie and French Southwest

by Kevin Keith

Leave it to me to try to weave a thread between three wine regions of France that have not very much in common other than being French wine regions. But I am up for the challenge, as all three of these places are more than worthy of your attention, and offer things you may or may not have experienced in your journeys throughout the wine world. The Jura, Savoie and the French Southwest. Let’s begin.

The Jura, located between Burgundy and Switzerland, bridges the gap between the styles of wine found in this two aforementioned places. Surrounding the town of Arbois, this is primarily white wine country, specializing in local grapes such as Savagnin, Trousseau and Poulsard, along with a rather unique expression of Chardonnay. These wines are quite good, and experiencing something of an attraction with sommeliers. There is an uniqueness to these wines you won’t find in too many others. Lots of minerality notes that are quite pronounced. Those intimidated by Burgundy should seek these wines out.

The Savoie, or the Savoy, is located to the south of the Jura, near the borders of Switzerland and Italy, and are known for producing both white and red wines. The whites are derived from indigenous grape varieties such as Jacquere, Roussanne, Roussette and Gringet, and reds almost exclusively from local grape Mondeuse.

The Southwest can be found to the southeast of Bordeaux, encompassing such ancient regions as the Madiran and Cahors. A total of 31 different AOCs can be found among the 5 subregions:

• Dordogne/Bergerac
• Garonne
• Gascony
• Béarn
• Basque Country

Some of the grapes used to make wine in this exceptionally diverse region are: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Colombard, Gros Manseng, Jurançon, Malbec, Merlot, Petite Manseng, Tannat, and Ugni Blanc.

A few of the wines we offer from these regions: