Savoy

A landscape shaped by the vineYARDS

Planted thanks to the intervention of the Romans, the vine is cultivated in Savoy since antiquity. In the Middle Ages, the clergy contributed to the vineyards development by maintaining a certain production of wine and a taste for tradition. The monks owned one of the most largest land holdings and proceeded with the naming of the Savoyard vineyards.

The gradual abolition of serfdom led to changes in the distribution of the vineyards, with a fragmentation of the land and an extension of the vineyard areas: Between the 16th and 18th centuries, the extent of the vineyards was such that they spread to slopes at an altitude of over 1000 metres.

This progression was limited in 1559 by Duke Emmanuel Philibert, who introduced an edict to encourage the harvesting of grapes at the right time of maturity. However, faced with the overproduction, it was the Marquis Costa de Beauregard who evoked the importance of a size limit for the vineyards and a real differentiation between the profession of farmer and that of winegrower.

In 1860, the attachment of Savoy to France brought the wines into direct competition with the wines of the south of France, which were also in overproduction. This growth was slowed down by the appearance of phylloxera at the end of the 19th century, a crisis that devastated the country's wine production as a whole. However, despite the arrival of this insect pest, the surface area of the vineyard remained constant and thanks to the remedy of grafting on an American rootstock having been discovered in the 1880s, a replanting movement completed the rebirth of the Savoyard vineyard. The first and second world wars had an impact on the vineyard due to its destruction, the lack of manpower and the rural flight. The vineyards have therefore played a large part in the development of the Savoyard landscape.

Wines with character

With its mountainous climate on steep plains benefiting from lot of sunshine, the microclimates remain nevertheless very marked and confer to the wines original character combined with the know-how of the wine growers. A particularity that gives different styles but always elegant wines.

At the foot of the Alps, the vineyards extend over four departments: Savoiy Haute-Savoie, Isère and Ain. With a surface area of nearly 2000 hectares spread mainly over the departments of Savoy and Haute-Savoie, the wines of this region can pride themselves on their AOC with very diverse terroirs. Among them are Roussette de Savoie, Crépy, Seyssel and the regional appellation of Vin de Savoie.

The white wines are best known for their originality and character: they represent 70% of wine production, followed by 20% for red wine. Rosé and sparkling wines are less produced. The main grape varieties for white wines in Savoy are the traditional Jaquère, Roussanne and Roussette. The red wines are mainly made from Mondeuse, Gamay and Persan grape varieties