The south-west of France is well known for its wines – perhaps above all for the red wines produced in the Bordeaux / Medoc / Saint-Emilion regions. A little to the east of these world-famous wine regions in the Dordogne department around Bergerac there are also some well known wines produced which deserve your attention.
In total there are 13 wines listed as ‘appellations’ in Bergerac, from seven different regions. A brief guide to these is shown below:
Pécharmant wine
Red wines with a very distinctive flavour and strong aroma originating from the soil in which they are grown that incorporates clay, sand and gravel. The Pecharmant wines use a mix of grape varieties: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot Noir.
Rosette wine
The semi-sweet wines of Rosette are produced using grapes of the Sauvignon, Semillon and Muscadelle varieties to give a very light coloured wine.
Montravel wines РMontravel, C̫tes de Montravel, Haut Montravel and Montravel Rouge
A good choice of wines from the Montravel region, the white wines use grapes of the Sauvignon, Semillon and Muscadelle varieties while the reds are made from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot Noir varieties.
The Cote de Montravel and Haut Montravel are both semi-sweet wines, while Montravel is a dry white wine and the Montravel rouge is an impressive red wine.
Bergerac wines РBergerac sec, Bergerac rouge and Bergerac ros̩
As with other wines in the region, both the Bergerac rouge and the Bergerac rosé use grapes of the Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot varieties and the white wines from the Sauvignon, Semillon and Muscadelle varieties.
Cotes de Bergerac wine – Cotes de Bergerac blanc and Cotes de Bergerac rouge
The white wines are produced largely from the Sémillon grapes, and the reds from those of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot. The white Cotes de Bergerac is a semi-sweet wine, while the reds are a rich intense red wine.
Saussignac wine
These semi-sweet wines use the grape varieties of Sauvignon, Semillon, Ondenc, Chemin and Muscadelleto produce a flavourful wine that also improves with age.
Monbazillac wine
From the attractive chateau on a hill overlooking the town of Bergerac, the well known sweet white wine of Monbazillac uses a labour intensive grape sorting process to ensure the full flavour and quality of this attractive golden-coloured wine.
Keeping the wines of Bergerac
The red wines of Pecharmant and Montravel and the wines of Côtes de Bergerac are typically stored in a cellar for a period before drinking, the others often drunk ‘as they are’ (i.e. young). The Saussignac also benefit from an extended period in the wine cellar.
