Southwest France a buyer's guide

The wide range of obscure grapes and unusual styles from France’s rural southwest makes it fascinating yet mysterious – and there are great wines to be found at bargain prices too. Here are the key appellations and producers, plus 10 top bottles to try

- ANDY HOWARD MW

It may lack the glitz and glamour of areas in the south of France, but the country’s southwest is a beautiful region, much loved by visitors from around the world. Yet, despite the region’s popularity as a tourist destination, the wines of the southwest have had a low profile abroad – a great pity given the region’s cornucopia of terroirs, its huge and diverse range of unusual grape varieties and wine styles, and its inspirational winemakers.

In a recent article, Decanter contributing editor, DWWA Co-Chair and leading wine writer Andrew Jefford posed some questions: ‘What is France’s greatest undiscovered wine region? Where do you find the greatest value for money in French wine? Where would you look around France to find potential fine-wine quality at affordable prices? Three questions from me, and the same answer to each: southwest France.’

INTRIGUING COMPLEXITIES

So, what is it that makes the southwest such a rich source of alternative, great-value and high-quality wines? It is a region shaped by both similarity and diversity. The similarities include the influence of the maritime climate driven from the Atlantic ocean; the unremittingly beautiful countryside ranging from the foothills of the Pyrenees to the limestone causses (limestone plateaux and gorges) of the Tarn, Dordogne and Lot; the influence of major, westward-flowing rivers; and historical factors – most importantly the legacy of the Romans, the influence of the church, the changes in the wine trade and the effects of phylloxera.