­The background is intoxicating : pristine alpine air , cryptic blue lakes and forested mount­ain ranges define the landscape of France ’s Savoie region . Lying on the fringes of the eastern perimeter of France with Switzerland and Italy , its location makes it ideal for both skiing and vino .

The orbicular community catch a close - up view of the area when the 1992 Winter Olympics were held in the Savoie ’s renowned ski area , Albertville . Considered one of the most bea­utiful tourist destinations in France , this area of the French Alps is a wintertime magnet for vacationing skiers and a summer goal for outside partisan , camper and tramper [ beginning : French Wines ] .

Small village with vinery dot the mountain slopes . pass on the Gallic thirstiness for fine vino , amateur and professional person can be certain to discover local wine-colored to console their palates . Designated as one of France ’s winegrowing regions , the Savoie wine realm is place south of Geneva ’s Lac Leman , East of Lyon and north of Grenoble . vineyard are find in four French regions , or departments : Savoie , Haute - Savoie , Ain and Isere [ source : Stevenson ] .

­Unlike the easy regulating that govern Italian wine production , the French are more partic­ular about the categorisation system they employ . Their no - meaninglessness lapse makes it easier for consumer to pick out wines of a particular timbre , identify what ( and what part of ) grape are in the wine , and where those grapes originate . The French even define just how champagne sparkle wine should be .

The region consists of about 5,600 Acre ( 2,300 hectares ) of vineyard . Labels from Savoie typically have one of the abide by name on them : Savoie , Bugey , Crepy or Seyssel . While the Savoie and Bugey names apply to realm , Crepy and Seyssel identify the particular village where the wine-coloured was produced [ origin : Find the Vine ] .

You might wonder how this region develop its culture as well as its wine . Read on to learn about the account and finish of Savoie .

Savoie Wine Region History and Culture

The land between the Rhone River and Lac Leman was at one time inhabited by a­ Gaelic tribe know as the Allobroges . vote out by the Ro­mans in A.D. 120 , the tribe was incorporated into Gaul . The nameSavoiecomes from a Latin full term meaning ­"country of fir trees . " Once part of the Roman Empire , Savoie was occupy into the Kingdom of the Franks in the 400s [ source : Encyclopaedia Britannica ] .

When the Frankish Kingdom of Burgundy collapsed in 1003 , the House of Savoie was born . It became the longest surviving purple menage in Europe .

For a metre during the French Revolution , Gallic force occupied the sphere . But after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815 , Savoie was restored to Sardinia . It was n’t until the Treaty of Turin , in 1860 , that Savoie was annexed by France as part of the correspondence with Napoleon III that brought about the union of Italy .

scatter medieval ruins and Italian computer architecture do as visible reminders of the area ’s troubled past . Savoie food , on the other hired man , reflects its metre - honored traditions and respect for its mountain heritage .

Hearty fare like pork sweat , or sausages and polenta , is a local favorite . Farcemeat is a thick sauce ( or even a pudding ) that ’s made from potatoes , 1st Baron Verulam and dried fruit function with pork . blanched asparagus is a local airiness . Its location in the Alps make cheese as of import as skiing . fondu Savoyarde is a cheese fondue that ’s made with kirsh and white Savoie wine . Local cheese let in Reblochon , Tomme de Savoie and Beaufort [ source : Lorch ] .

Move forrader to the next page to learn about how the region ’s hot summer and cold winters impact the cultivation of grapes and other crops in Savoie .

Savoie Wine Region Agriculture

Grape plantings in the Savoie realm have been documente­d as far back as the 11th century , alt­hough some claim the Allobroges were cook wine-coloured during the first century­ At its peak in 1889 , more than 32,100 demesne ( 13,000 hectares ) of vines were growing in the realm . Then disaster struck when a vine louse , genus Phylloxera , devastated the surface area , leaving just over a one-quarter of vine unscathed [ source : Neal ] .

The climate in the region is hot in the summer and insensate in the wintertime . The soil is compile of clay and limestone . Terraced wine W. C. Fields bristle on the lower slopes of the mountains , below 1,640 metrical foot ( 500 meters ) [ source : Lorch ] .

The most important whitened grape in the Savoie wine part are Chasselas , Rousette ( also cognise as Altesse ) and Jacquere . For bolshy , it ’s the Mondeuse grape . Other type of grapes grown in the region let in Aligote , Cabernet Franc , Cabernet Sauvignon , Chasselas Roux , Chasselas Vert , Chardonnay , Etraire de la Dui , Gamay , Gringet , Jacquere , Joubertin , Marsanne , Molette , Mondeuse Blanche , Persan , Pinot Gris , Pinot Noir , Poulsard , Rousette D’ayze , Serene and Verdesse [ source : Schweitzer ] .

The region produces more white wine than red , but both are important . ashen and rosé wine-colored from the region are often described as sluttish , dry and refreshful . red place from the fruity Pinot to a fat , full Mondeuse . Experts recommend choosing the most late vintage in Savoie , as vintages are not as crucial in this region as they are in other wine part of France [ rootage : Stevenson ] .

To find out what celebrated wine-colored to check out in the Savoie wine part , take on .

Famous Wines of the Savoie Wine Region

Since many of the wines grow here­ are locally consumed , few are exported in large quantities . Sparkling and semi - effervescent wines are a specialty of the Savoie region . The Gallic categorize their sparkling wines by the amount of carbolic flatulency that they check . Mousseux is Gallic for " sparkling " ; petillant is used to identify wines with a short glitter [ source : Stevenson ] .

If you ’re looking for a good feeding bottle of white wine , check out the comply appellations on the recording label : Crepy AOC , Seyssel AOC and Seyssel Mousseux AOC , Rousette de Savoie AOC , Rousette de Bugey VDQS .

If you have a more varied taste , bet for these appellations on labels of white-hot , rosé and red wines : Vin de Savoie AOC , Vin de Savoie Ayze Petillant AOC , Vin de Savoie Ayze Mousseaux AOC , Van de Savoie Mousseux AOC , Van de Savoie Petillant AOC . Vin de Bugey VDQS , Vin de Bugey Cerdon Mousseux VDQS , Vin de Bugey Cerdon Petillant VDQS , Vin de Bugey Mousseux VDQS , Vin de Bugey Petillant VDQS .

Some wine-coloured of note in the region let in :

You ’ll most in all likelihood be " forced " to relish Savoie region wines in Savoie , and if you get golden , you might want to fetch along a pair of ski . Á vote santé ! To read more , visit some of the tie on the accompany page .

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