Grape Escapes

We all know and love our French wines: a gander through any local liquor store will entertain your thirst for the erudite terroir of Burgundy, Bordeaux and Champagne, land we can intimately taste on the comfort of our own Canadian soil. But globalization booms aside, there are still some vino gems that don’t make it past the borders of the motherland of wine—secrets that require a plane ticket, a curious palate and a smattering of wanderlust. Here, then, are three enigmatic wine regions in France, that, if you need more of a reason than floral landscapes, exquisitely crafted humans, heritage of a calibre unfamiliar to Canada, and culture that is sacredly protected, do it for these cool wines that are only available from the land in which they are grown. —Laura Starr

gaillac. Just north of Tolouse, this dreamy land is, supposedly, the oldest wine region in France—besides which, one of its white wines hails from a very uncommon grape called Loin de l’Oeil, known for wonderful rich aromatics of orange blossom, rosewater and almond.

bergerac. Welcome to the land of truffles! And, also, bright and flowery white wines that are an absolute bargain (we’re talking $8 a bottle). The grapes will be familiar to you (think Sauvignon, Sémillon and Muscadelle) but the house blends are rarely exported, consumed exclusively by locals.

provence-alpes-côte d’azur. A land known for its fields of flowers but worth the trip for it’s Tibouren Rosé—a spicy rich and orange-peel-y wine that, should you need a teaser of the land, is actually available through one producer, Clos Cibonne, at private liquor stores.

Bonus: Rhône Valley

gigondas. Though this region produces mainly red wines (no whites), a very small amount of rosé is made here. With spring coming (promise!) we thought we’d include this bonus French region in our roundup—and suggest pouring yourself a glass of Gabriel Meffre rosé, with notes of red currant and pink grapefruit, while you make plans to visit in person! —Noa Nichol