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French Winophiles Search for Savoie
Our French #Winophiles group is taking an imaginary trip to the Savoie wine region this month. The region may bring a smile and recognition once you make this connection: The Savoie is also “The French Alps“. I should have brought my snowboard! Take a look at the bottom of this post for my fellow Winophiles discoveries from this tiny region.

The Savoie is almost unheard of in the United States for several very good reasons:

• The Savoie only has 5,000 acres in total and accounts for a mere 0.5% of French wine made
• Due to the popularity of the French Alps & Lake Geneva, the wine is almost all consumed locally by tourists on vacation.
• In the past, the ability to sell all the wine locally meant it didn’t need to be very good, not really worth exporting.
• Unfamiliar region, unfamiliar towns, unfamiliar grapes. What’s not to like?

Over the last few years, winemakers have been working to improve their wines, and if you look you might be able to find a Savoie wine in your local wine shop. Maybe.

You might know the Savoie wine region better as the French Alps near Lake Geneva. Map courtesy of http://www.savoie-mont-blanc.com/en

Savoie Wines of Jean Perrier et Fils
The family Jean Perrier et Fils has been growing grapes in the Savoie since 1853, and have been making wine since 1953. They make white, red, rosé and sparkling wines.

Crisp and refreshing, a nice balance to a hearty winter soup

Jean Perrier et Fils Savoie AOC Abymes “Cuvee Gastronomie” 2015 ($12 at Henry and Son)

From the winery:
This wine is made from the Jacquère grape, “a variety proper to Savoie, middle-sized grapes, very tight. Thick skin. Juicy pulp ,bitter.” The Jacquère grape accounts for over half the vineyard area of the entire Savoie region. At the Perrier winery, the grapes are manually harvested with gentle pneumatic pressing, and a long cool fermentation to preserve freshness and aroma.

Jeff’s evaluation
Eye: Clear, pale lemon. Barely colored, clear edge.
Nose: Clean, medium- intensity, very floral, lemon & unripe pears
Mouth: Medium- body, medium+acidity clean citrus and white flower flavors, medium length finish.

Beans, squash, chard, some sausage add up to a hearty winter meal

Savoie and a Warm Winter Soup
With the busy holidays and travel I didn’t have time to research a Savoie related recipe. In fact, I had to resort to some soup pulled from the freezer. Earlier in the fall, I had made a batch of  Butternut, White Bean, and Chard Soup based on a recipe from Earthbound farms. To turn it into dinner, I added a bit of sausage, grated some Parmigiano Reggiano on top and we were ready to eat. The Jean Perrier et Fils Savoie was a great choice to pair with a hearty soup and priced right for weeknight enjoyment.  Try this wine with your favorite soup supper, I’ll bet you’ll agree it raises the soup up a notch or two.  You might even want to light a candle or take it over by the fireplace.

French #Winophiles Savoie Discoveries

• Michelle from Rockin Red Blog gives us Peeking Into the Secret World of Savoie Wines.
• Martin from Enofylze Wine Blog asks Voulez-vous Savoie? Oui Mondeuse!
• Jeff from FoodWineClick! writes about Soup & Savoie.
• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoys “Savoie”ring time with Family.
• Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla creates A Savoie Pairing: Soupe aux Cailloux + Gonnet Chignin.
• Jill from L’occasion is writing about The Biodynamic Vineyards of Savoie.

Join us on Saturday January 21st at 10:00 am central time on twitter. We’ll be there under the hashtag #Winophiles. There we will chat about all things related to the Alpine region of Savoie in France…Wine, climate, food, travel, history and resources are all welcome topics.