Home to 300 varieties, the southwest France is the birthplace of the world’s most beloved grapes, such as Malbec and Cabernet Franc. But go even deeper and you’ll be immersed in a wildly diverse wine region. With 130 indigenous varieties and 42 appellations, wines of Southwest France open up a world of diversity for everyone to try.
A Place of Historical Importance
Natural borders delineate the region of Southwest France. The Atlantic Ocean sits to the west, while the high-altitude plateaus of the Massif Central line the east. Dordogne, home to the namesake river, forms the northern border, and the Pyrenees mountains stand majestically to the south. Within these boundaries exists a tapestry of soils, climates and terrains.
Thanks to its location, southwest France played an important role in the development of wine industries all over the globe. In the 12th century, Pope Alexander III anointed Santiago de Compostela as a holy village, and people from throughout Europe made a pilgrimage there. Southwest France became a busy thoroughfare for travelers, who, in turn, brought the grapes that the region’s abbeys and monasteries used for wine production to other parts of
This Article was originally published on Wine Enthusiast
