Sud-Ouest

The wine-growing areas of this large region (French: Sud-Ouest) are among the oldest in France. Geographically and also historically, it includes the entire area between the Massif Central, which forms the eastern border, and the Atlantic coast in the west, as far south as the Pyrenees on the border with Spain. Administratively, it is the former regions of Midi-Pyrénées and Aquitaine, geographically it is the catchment area of the Dordogne, Garonne and Adour rivers. Julius Caesar (100-44 BC) first called the Roman province he conquered between the Garonne River and the Pyrenees the Aquitaine (French Guyenne). Emperor Charlemagne (742-814) annexed it to the Frankish Empire. After an eventful history as an independent county, the addition of Gascony and then under English rule from the middle of the 12th century, the region only finally became part of France in 1453.

Viticulture and grape varieties

In the Middle Ages, the Catholic orders cultivated viticulture here, with the Catholic order of the Cistercians doing particularly well. The Dutch demand for brandy and sweet wines from the 17th century onwards shaped the style of wine. At this time, the name Haut-Pays (Upper Country - upstream from Bordeaux) became common. However, the wines were overshadowed by the Bordelais for a long time. Wine was sold from the port in...