Wines of the Auvergne and Cantal

The Auvergne is one of the oldest wine growing areas of France but the wines are little known outside the region. This is beginning to change with improved production techniques and promotion. St.Pourcain wines are available in the U.K. but are not easy to find.

The wines can best be described as light, fresh and fruity. There are three wine growing areas viz. St.Pourcain in the Allier department, Côtes d'Auvergne in Puy-de-Dôme and Entraygues et du Fel in the Cantal.

The appellation Saint Pourçain produces white, rosé and red wines. The white wines are made from the grapes Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Aligoté and a local variety le Tressalier.

Rosé wines use the Gamay Noir grape and reds are made from Gamay and Pinot Noir.

The Côtes d'Auvergne has five "appellations" viz. from north to south, Madargues, Chateaugay, Chanturgues, Corent and Boudes. The principal grapes used are Gamay d'Auvergne (95%) with Pineau Noir and Chardonnay. The main red wines of the Auvergne are from these appellations.

The appellation "Vins d'Entraygues et du Fel" is the only source of Cantal wines. White wines are primarily from the Chenin Blanc grape, rosé from Gamay Noir and reds from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Fer Servadou.

Obviously the climate in the Auvergne is not ideal for producing "meaty" red wines and all Auvergne reds can be classified as "light and fruity". The same description can be applied to the whites and rosés but these are very pleasant light "summer" wines (for example the Saint Pourçain whites and rosés).

Most hoteliers and restaurateurs in the Cantal offer the best of the Auvergne wines as well as the excellent quality/price wines of the Midi and a good selection of the usual French classics.

A local wine merchant, in Aurillac, Desprat Vins, offers a selection of the Auvergne wines but the web-site gives little general information on Auvergne wines.

Other local drinks are "Salers" or "Avèze", slightly bitter light liqueurs made from the roots of the giant yellow gentian plant which grows profusely in parts of the Cantal mountains. A popular drink is "Salers cassis", i.e. a "Kir" using Salers instead of white wine.