A Sense of Place
Take it in...the greatest undiscovered wine region of France. 42 appellations orbiting Toulouse. A cluster of contrasts between Bergerac and the Basque Country, the Massif Central and the Pyrenees, the Atlantic ocean and the Mediterranean sea.
Officially, the Southwest wine region includes all the vine-growing areas in Southwest France except Bordeaux. For years it envied and imitated its famous cousin, which prevented it from making a name for itself. But in the 1980s and 90s, certain leading producers, inspired by biodynamics and the natural wine movement broke away from the standardised tastes of the era.
These daring winemakers paved the way for a new generation and wines, with a true sense of place.
Rare and Ancient Grape Varieties
Colombard - Gros Manseng - Petit Manseng - Loin de L'oeil - Mauzac - Cabernet Franc - Malbec - Fer Servadou - Braucol - Duras - Tannat - Prunelart - Arbouriou - Negrette - Bouysselet - Muscadelle - Sémillon - Sauvignon - Syrah - Merlot
Colombard - Gros Manseng - Petit Manseng - Loin de L'oeil - Mauzac - Cabernet Franc - Malbec - Fer Servadou - Braucol - Duras - Tannat - Prunelart - Arbouriou - Negrette - Bouysselet - Muscadelle - Sémillon - Sauvignon - Syrah - Merlot
Southwest France is home to 300 different grape varieties and 130 are indigenous. They were cultivated by the Romans and propagated by pilgrims on all the trails to St Jacques de Compostelle: a living heritage.
In the 70s & 80s, thousands of local varieties were ripped out and replaced by international varieties. They would have been forgotten if not for certain growers protective of their terroirs and wine culture. Safeguarding these indigenous vines is key to preserve local biodiversity and original flavour - they are the signature of the Southwest, which is rooted in resistance and resilience!
Fine and Natural Wines
At Joanne Dans Le Vin, we champion quality wines made by organic, biodynamic, regenerative growers in the vineyards around us and in the wider Southwest - organic, biodynamic and natural wines from Gaillac, Cahors, Quercy in the Lot Valley, Fronton in the Haute Garonne, Marcillac and the Aveyron, Bergerac, Buzet, Gascony, Madiran, Jurançon and Irouleguy… as well as a few faves from other regions on the way.
Book a fun and educational polysensory tasting to discover them now
“The wines of the Southwest are among the best in the world and we shouldn’t be afraid to say it. We have a mosaic of terroirs, an incredible diversity of grape varieties and an amazing group of talented growers who share the same philosophy. It’s a mini-France, you find wines that are ultra-fresh and ultra-quaffable and wines that you can forget about for 25 years in the cellar.”
Mathias Marquet, Chateau Lestignac