 One of the great differences between the wine-growing regions of the New World and those of Europe is that in Europe local wines play an essential role in everyday life.
The humble red Schiava grape, for example, is an indispensible partner to Bolzano's bread dumplings flavored with speck, but its pale pink color and high acidity make it an unlikely candidate for "international" status.
Lambrusco, the simple and frothy red wine from Emilia-Romagna, will never be taken seriously, and yet its specific purpose is to wash down rich plates of lasagna and Prosciutto di Parma, and the locals wouldn't have it any other way.
The mountainous Savoie region in eastern France produces similarly overlooked but locally important wines. Overlooked but not unsold, that is. The Savoie is tiny and winegrowers in the region have no trouble selling most of their wine to thirsty tourists aprés-ski. But the Savoie's dry white wines are full of sap, minerals, flavors of pine nuts and orchard fruits, and I can't imagine having boiled potatoes and melted cheese or fresh boudin blanc without some.
Viticulture in the alpine region of the Savoie is made possible, in part, by lake Bourget and lake Léman, where vineyards can be found along their moderating shores. Vin de Savoie serves as a catchall for the region, and if it’s white and no other information is given on the label, one can assume the wine is made from the local Jacquère grape.
Jacquère is a lightly aromatic, somewhat neutral grape variety, and the Savoie’s best growers work diligently to control its vigor. When old vines are in play and yields are kept low, Jacqère gives remarkably pure—snow-like, even—whites of intriguing minerality. The Altesse (a.k.a Roussette), Chasselas, and Bergeron (the local name for Roussanne) grapes are also used in white-wine production, while Gamay, Pinot Noir, and the dark-skinned and peppery Mondeuse produce the occasional red or rosé Vin de Savoie.
Fourteen individual crus are allowed to add their name to the label. Like all of the Savoie vineyards, they are widely dispersed. - 1-4. Wines on the southern shores of Lac Léman (lake Geneva) where the Chasselas grape is the key component in Marin, Marignan, Ripaille, and Crépy.
- 5. In the Arve Valley is the bizarre cru of Ayze and wine can be still or sparkling and based on Gringet, a relative of the Jura’s Savagnin.
- 6. Seyssel, known for sparkling wines from Altesse.
- 7. Frangy, specializing in still Altesse.
- 8. Chautagne, a cru known for its red Gamay wines.
- 9. Jongieux, made from Jacquère.
- 10-11. Aprémont and Abymes, where the best Jacquére is grown.
- 12-14. On the “combe de Savoie” lie Chignin (Jacquère), Chignin-Bergeron (Roussanne), and Arbin for Mondeuse.
One of the most delicious wines in the Savoie region is the odd sparkling and off-dry rosé called Bugey-Cerdon. Wine has been grown in Bugey since medieval times and was once a part of Burgundy. Vin du Bugey-Cerdon can be still, pétillant or fully sparkling and is based on Poulsard, Mondeuse, Gamay, and Pinot Noir. Much is consumed locally with the famous cuisine of nearby Bresse.
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