Wines and Vineyards of the Midi Pyrenees , France

Discover the wines and spirits of the Midi Pyrenees, France

The Midi-Pyrenees boasts a very wide range of vineyards in which some of the best red and white wines of southwestern France are produced. From the banks of the Dordogne to the Lot valley and from the region of Gascony to the hillsides of the Tarn, some fifteen AOC (guarantee of origin) wines as well as local wines are available to cheer your meals.
The Medieval town of Cahors, with its narrow alleyways, old residences and its architectural riches has given its name to a vineyard. Cahors wine is justly reputed to be a wine that ages very well, and is powerful and robust whereas others can be enjoyed young and cool. The vineyard's paths pass through limestone plateaus and the terraces of the Lot valley, quite close to such essential sites as the painted caves of Pech-Merle and the Medieval village of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie.

White wine enthusiasts can gather in Gaillac as this lovely small town in the Tarn is situated on the route of Albigensian fortified towns such as Cordes-sur-Ciel, Castelnau-de-Montmiral, Penne and Puycelci, etc. and boast a dry, fruity white AOC wine. This very diverse land also produces full-bodied reds, tender early wines and light rosés.

The Gascony area favours full-bodied wines such as Madiran that can be kept for more than twenty years but they are also partial to Pacherenc, a mellow white wine with the complex aromas of flowers and almonds. The Gers is also the home of France's oldest brandy: the warm and fragrant Armagnac.

The 'vallon de Marcillac', a small vineyard between Rodez and Conques, which was awarded its AOC label in 1990 spreads its corolla of vineyards over a circumference of 18 miles. And finally the vineyards of the Frontonnais area between Toulouse and Montauban explore the riches of a typically local grape called négrette, which thrives on the company of Cabernet, Syrah and Gamay vines. They produce fresh red wines, the dominant features of which are blackcurrant or prune as well as full-bodied, robust vintage red wines.