A Wine Of One's Own

France is home to some of the most famous wine regions in the world — for good reason. But these days, smaller and more experimental winemakers are also flourishing, offering enough variety to please every palate. Here’s your guide the country ’s best off-the-beaten-path vineyards...

- Jason Wilson

France has nearly two million acres of vineyards, spread across more than 300 appellations, that produce roughly eight billion bottles of wine per year. Long story short, there’s a lot of vin in France for a tipsy traveller to explore. Yet most wine tourists stick to the well-trodden path: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace, Rhône. Not that there’s anything wrong with those world-class regions. But if you’re the kind of person who’s willing to try rare and unique grapes that you can’t always pronounce, the kind of drinker who’s unafraid of natural wines recommended by tattooed sommeliers, and the kind of traveller who likes to venture away from the masses, then consider the following wine itineraries.

SOUTHWEST FRANCE

For lovers of obscure grapes who want an alternative to show-offy

Bordeaux When I think of interesting but affordable wines, I think of Southwest France, and places like Tarn, Haute-Garonne, and Gascony. These regions are only a few hours’ drive from Bordeaux, but instead of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and sauvignon blanc, the best wines here are made from négrette, tannat, mauzac, fer servadou, and petit manseng. No, I’m not just making up gibberish. Those are the names of grapes that come from Fronton, Madiran, Marcillac, and Gaillac. You might not have heard of those places, but these are not upstart, up-and-coming nouveau regions. They’re actually quite ancient. Winemaking, in fact, flourished here with the Romans, long before it did in Bordeaux.