THE APPELLATIONS

The oldest Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) in Savoie is that of Seyssel, accorded for both still and sparkling white wines in 1942. The main Savoie AOC, the most important appellation covered in this book in terms of geographic scope, was not ratified until 1973, although the wines of the area had been accorded the lesser (now obsolete) designation of Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieur (VDQS) since the 1950s. The separate Roussette de Savoie AOC was created at the same time. Both have gone through some changes since. The most recent Savoie appellation is Crémant de Savoie AOC, made official in 2015.

Despite having a very small area of Vitis vinifera plantings at the time (hybrids not being allowed in any French wine quality designation), Bugey was accorded the VDQS category in 1958. In the decades that followed, as the vineyards expanded, the region fought long and hard to become elevated to AOC. Eventually, in 2009, it succeeded, at a time when the VDQS category was about to become extinct, risking Bugey being demoted to IGP. A separate AOC Roussette du Bugey was accorded at the same time.

Clairette de Die in the Diois region received its AOC for sparkling wines in 1942. This accounts for over 90% of the production of the Diois, but there are three further AOCs here.

Note that AOCs are known also as Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP), the French version of the European Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) system for food and drink. Wine producers are permitted to use either AOP or AOC: the rules are identical. In this book I will refer only to AOC.

Detailed rules for Savoie and Bugey AOCs are included in Appendix 1, but the essentials are outlined here.

The IGP concept

There are many isolated vineyards situated outside the geographically defined AOC areas. Some are defined geographic areas for viticulture and until 2009 the wines were labelled as Vin de Pays. The European protection of origin standard that replaced Vin de Pays is Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP).

The steep Domaine des Ardoisières vineyards in Cevins are classified as IGP Vin des Allobroges; when the AOC Savoie was created, commercial winegrowing had virtually ceased on this hillside.

IGPs are becoming increasingly significant in the French Alps regions, in particular because many formerly important vineyard areas are being resurrected. In addition, some grape varieties not included in the AOC rules may be allowed in the IGP rules. In the Savoie and Haute-Savoie departments the designation is IGP Vin des Allobroges. In Isère, IGP Isère is accorded to two Alpine districts, Balmes Dauphinoises and Coteaux du Grésivaudan. The IGP Coteaux de l’Ain covers the areas outside the AOC Bugey, some of it adjoining the Swiss vineyards of the canton of Geneva.

All the vineyards in the Hautes-Alpes are covered by the IGP Hautes-Alpes. The producers are discussing applying for AOC, but realize that this would hamper experimentation. Don’t expect an AOC any time soon. IGP Drôme is used for still wines in the Diois.

There is a set of rules for each IGP, defining geographic area, wine styles, grape varieties, vineyard yield restrictions, along with certain analytical criteria for the wines, but these are not as detailed or as strict as those for AOCs.

Vin de France

Because some wines are made from grape varieties or wine styles not permitted even for the IGP category, in all regions some wines are made under the Vin de France label that has no such restrictions. In addition, some areas are not included in the IGPs because there have been no vineyards there for a very long time. Finally, a few natural wine producers produce wines so regularly outside the AOC/IGP norms that they choose this designation instead.

Savoie

AOC Savoie or AOC Vin de Savoie

This regional appellation includes widely scattered vineyard areas in the two departments of Savoie and Haute-Savoie, along with Seyssel and Corbonod across the Rhône river in the department of Ain, and the village of Chapareillan in Isère, a natural extension of the vineyards of Apremont and Abymes (see map here). Still white, red and rosé wines are allowed, as well as sparkling wines. Residual sugar levels in the finished wine must not exceed 8g/l for white wines and 5g/l for rosés.

The AOC Crémant de Savoie was introduced for white sparkling wines in 2015, with the term Méthode Traditionnelle not allowed from 2020. Rosé sparkling wines labelled Méthode Traditionnelle are also allowed and the region hopes that eventually the INAO (which controls appellations nationally) will allow rosé Crémant de Savoie.

The permitted grape varieties are as follows:

•For reds and rosés: Gamay, Mondeuse and Pinot Noir may be used anywhere. In the Savoie department Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Persan are also permitted; in Isère Persan, Etraire de la Dui, Servanin and Joubertin are also permitted.

•For whites: Aligoté, Altesse, Chardonnay, Jacquère, Mondeuse Blanche and Velteliner Rouge Précoce may be used anywhere. In Haute-Savoie, Chasselas, Gringet and Roussette d’Ayze are also permitted; in Isère Marsanne and Verdesse are also permitted.

Strange restrictions for Savoie’s rare grapes

The revival of varieties that had become almost extinct in Savoie should have been applauded by the powers that be at the INAO. These include varieties such as Verdesse for white wines, and Persan and Etraire de la Dui for reds. However, their use is restricted under AOC rules – these varieties are permitted only in certain departments within the AOC and are considered ‘accessory’ rather than ‘principal’ varieties.

Effectively, producers with an interest in growing rare grapes are penalized. They are not allowed more than a proportion of 10% of plantings in their vineyards, or at least those designated for making AOC wines. In other words, if a producer has 10ha of AOC vineyards, a maximum of 1ha may be of unusual varieties. If the varieties are authorized under IGP rules, then the vineyards can be effectively demoted for IGP use, and if not authorized for IGP (for example, some of the newly replanted rare grapes), then the wines must be labelled Vin de France instead. The law is an ass indeed, for these rare grapes potentially add to the excitement and interest of Savoie wines around the world and without the Savoie name on the label the region misses out.

The following 16 sub-appellations, or geographic denominations, designating a local name or village, may be appended for specific styles. When other wine styles are made or other grapes used in these areas, the wines are labelled simply AOC Savoie. Geographic denomination is the official term (AOC rules may include neighbouring villages): the term ‘cru’ is widely used instead and will be adopted in this book. I have grouped them into geographic areas.

Around Chambéry:

•Abymes or Les Abymes – white, at least 80% from Jacquère

•Apremont – white, at least 80% from Jacquère

•St-Jeoire-Prieuré – white, at least 80% from Jacquère

•Chignin – white, at least 80% from Jacquère; red and rosé, at least 90% from Gamay, Mondeuse or Pinot Noir

•Chignin Bergeron – white, exclusively from Bergeron (Roussanne)

In the Combe de Savoie:

•Montmélian – white, at least 80% from Jacquère

•Arbin – red, exclusively from Mondeuse

•Cruet – white, at least 80% from Jacquère

•St-Jean-de-la-Porte – red, exclusively from Mondeuse

North and west of Lac du Bourget:

•Chautagne – white, at least 80% from Jacquère; red and rosé at least 90% from Gamay, Mondeuse or Pinot Noir

•Jongieux – white, at least 80% from Jacquère; red and rosé at least 90% from Gamay, Mondeuse or Pinot Noir

In Haute-Savoie:

•Ayze – white and sparkling, at least 50% from Gringet and no more than 30% of each of the accessory varieties

•Crépy – white, at least 80% from Chasselas (until 2008 Crépy was an AOC in its own right)

•Marignan, Marin and Ripaille - white, at least 80% from Chasselas

Special rules for Crémant de Savoie

The Crémant appellation was authorized in late 2015 to sell sparkling wines made from base wines from the 2014 vintage. It became the eighth Crémant AOC in France and in general follows the same rules as the other Crémants. Notably these include hand-harvesting, regulations for the types of press used, use of the traditional method with a minimum of nine months in contact with the second fermentation lees before disgorgement, and no sales allowed before 12 months after bottling.

Any of the main authorized Savoie white or red grape varieties may be used for the base wine, but a minimum of 40% Jacquère is required, which forms part of a minimum 60% Jacquère and/or Altesse; red grapes are limited to a maximum of 20% of the blend.

Whereas the traditional sparkling wines of Seyssel AOC and also those from Ayze are allowed to continue as before, little consideration has been given to other areas of Savoie where Jacquère is not traditionally grown, apart from a temporary derogation (see box here). No white AOC Savoie Méthode Traditionnelle wines may be sold made from base wine of the 2020 vintage onwards – it’s Crémant or simply Vin de France in future.

The vineyard areas of Savoie (including Seyssel) and Bugey AOC vineyards are shown on the map with their individual crus numbered as shown in the key below. The AOCs of Roussette de Savoie and Crémant de Savoie cover the same area as AOC Savoie; Roussette du Bugey AOC covers the same area as AOC Bugey. The actual appellation extent is much larger than the shaded areas on this map, but we have attempted to show the areas where vineyards actually exist.

Crazy Crémant rule

The grape variety blend for Crémant de Savoie was subject to much debate, and tests and tastings took place over a period of a few years. The INAO was keen that not too much Chardonnay should be permitted in the blend to avoid the sparkling wine aping other regions and thus to maintain its individuality.

The necessity for Jacquère to be a significant part of the blend of the AOC Crémant de Savoie makes sense for the vast majority of Savoie producers. However, the ruling disrespects the traditions of the growers in Haute-Savoie, where Jacquère is not traditionally grown, although it is permitted. As in most of Savoie, sparkling wine is not a major part of the production, but many winemakers make a small amount of traditional method sparkling wine.

Frangy is almost exclusively planted with Altesse and the denominated areas around Lac Léman – Crépy, Marin, Marignan and Ripaille – grow Chasselas almost exclusively. However, in order to sell under the AOC Crémant de Savoie, the only permitted sparkling appellation from vintage 2020, growers are obliged to plant Jacquère. This makes a complete mockery of the INAO supposedly upholding local traditions with its rules. Instead, many vignerons have elected in future to sell their traditional method sparkling wine under the Vin de France label.

Customers are unlikely to care one way or the other, but it means the AOC administration and promotion of the region as a whole loses out financially – growers pay a small amount into the local AOC for every litre of AOC wine sold; if they are selling wines as Vin de France, then that money is lost to the region.

AOC Roussette de Savoie

This separate appellation was granted in 1973 specifically for still white wines made from the Altesse grape variety. There are four sub-appellations, or crus, that may be appended to the name: Frangy (in Haute-Savoie); Marestel, Monthoux (west of Lac du Bourget) and Monterminod (close to Chambéry), all historically are associated with the Altesse variety. Until 1999 Roussette de Savoie AOC wines without a specific designated area were able to blend Chardonnay (and theoretically Mondeuse Blanche, but in practice there was almost none planted) with Altesse, provided there was 50% of the latter. Today all Roussette de Savoie must be 100% Altesse with residual sugar in the finished wine limited to 8g/l.

The Lupin family have this image of their old label hanging on the door outside their Frangy cellars. This is an historic area for Altesse, the only grape permitted for the AOC Roussette de Savoie.

AOC Seyssel

The Seyssel appellation covers vineyards close to the town of Seyssel, one part of the town being in Haute-Savoie and the other in Ain, on the western side of the Rhône river. Vineyards in the village of Corbonod in Ain are also within the appellation. Only white wines (still or sparkling) may be made.

Still wines may be sec (dry) or demi-sec from 100% Altesse, or dry from 100% Molette – the latter is much rarer and must be stated on the label. Seyssel from Altesse may have up to 8g/l residual sugar for the dry style or 15g/l for demi-sec; Seyssel Molette may have up to 4g/l residual sugar.

Sparkling Seyssel is made from a blend of Molette and Altesse. Until 2014 the requirement was for a minimum 10% Altesse and the Molette content was not stated, but when the Crémant AOC was introduced the INAO wanted the Molette to be higher to differentiate Seyssel from Crémant and the minimum of 75% was set. There is a derogation for seven years, but producers are fighting to reduce the proportion of Molette required. Chasselas is also permitted, but none is planted – this is a historical legacy from when the AOC was first created. Made using the traditional method, the wine must spend at least nine months on the second fermentation lees after bottling.

IGP Vin des Allobroges

Between 1981 and 2009 these Savoie wines were labelled as Vin de Pays d’Allobrogie or Vin de Pays des Allobroges. Still white, red and rosé wines may be produced. The geographic area covered is an extended version of that covered by AOC Savoie; the grape varieties include all those permitted for the AOC plus the following:

White grapes: Petite Arvine, Chasselas Rosé, Muscat à Petits Grains, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Savagnin and Viognier.

Red grapes: Corbeau (Douce Noire), Gamaret, Gamay de Bouze, Gamay de Chaudenay, Mècle, Merlot and Poulsard.

Following a decision taken by the Conseil d’Etat in December 2016 after an intervention by the Crémant association, sparkling wines may no longer be made under this designation.

Isère

IGP Isère

This departmental IGP includes two Alpine sub-regions: Balmes Dauphinoises, situated between Lyon and Chambéry; and Coteaux du Grésivaudan, along the valley of the Isère river south of Chambéry and beyond Grenoble. Only still wines may be produced, of all three colours, and the following grape varieties are permitted:

White grapes: Altesse, Petite Arvine, Chardonnay, Jacquère, Mondeuse Blanche, Pinot Gris, Roussanne, Velteliner Rouge Précoce, Verdesse and Viognier.

Red grapes: Corbeau (Douce Noire), Etraire de la Dui, Gamay, Joubertin, Mècle, Mondeuse, Pinot Noir, Persan, Servanin and Syrah.

In addition, the following grape varieties are allowed for a period of time limited to 25 years if they were already planted before the IGP was created in 2011: Aligoté, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay de Chaudenay, Gamay de Bouze and Merlot.

Bugey/Ain

AOC Bugey

The appellation covers various designated areas within the Ain department, which tend to be divided into two geographically: the area around Poncin and Cerdon between Bourg-en-Bresse and Nantua; and the area south of Ambérieu-en-Bugey to Belley, to the west of the Jongieux area of Savoie, and known as southern Bugey.

For the overall AOC all three colours of still wine may be made as well as white and rosé Méthode Traditionnelle sparkling wines. Permitted grapes are as follows:

•For still whites: principally Chardonnay; in addition: Aligoté, Altesse, Jacquère, Mondeuse Blanche and Pinot Gris. Residual sugar in the finished wine must not exceed 6g/l.

•For reds: Gamay, Mondeuse or Pinot Noir – blends are not allowed and the name of the grape variety must appear on the label.

•For still rosés: principally Gamay and/or Pinot Noir; in addition: Mondeuse, Pinot Gris and Poulsard. Residual sugar in the finished wine must not exceed 5g/l.

•For sparkling whites: principally Chardonnay, Jacquère and/or Molette; in addition: Aligoté, Altesse, Gamay, Mondeuse Blanche, Mondeuse, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Poulsard.

•For sparkling rosés: principally Gamay and/or Pinot Noir; in addition: Mondeuse, Pinot Gris and Poulsard.

In all of the above, the principal varieties must make up 70% of a wine estate’s vineyards, which are designated for that colour or style, unless the estate is smaller than 1.5ha. The wines must also reflect this proportion.

The following three sub-appellations or crus, representing a village and sometimes covering neighbouring villages, may be appended for the specific styles shown. When any other wine styles are made or other grapes used in these areas, the wines are labelled simply AOC Bugey.

•Cerdon – medium-sweet, low-alcohol (usually 7–8.5%) rosé sparkling wine made using a single bottle fermentation in the ancestral method. The name Cerdon on the label must be followed by ‘Méthode Ancestrale’ (see here for production details). Gamay and Poulsard are the authorized grape varieties, but Poulsard is not allowed to be used exclusively (yes, this means 99.9% Poulsard and 0.1% Gamay is OK). Manual harvest is mandatory. Residual sugar in the final sparkling wine must be between 22g/l and 80g/l.

Montagnieu is the only denomination that can be used for both red and sparkling Bugey, as well as for Roussette du Bugey. Franck Peillot’s family were pioneers here.

•Manicle – white, exclusively from Chardonnay; red, exclusively from Pinot Noir.

•Montagnieu – red, exclusively from Mondeuse; sparkling traditional method white from manually harvested grapes, principally Altesse, Chardonnay and Mondeuse.

AOC Roussette du Bugey

This separate appellation is for still white wines made from 100% Altesse. There are two sub-appellations or crus: Montagnieu and Virieu-le-Grand. Residual sugar in the final wines is limited to 8g/l.

IGP Coteaux de l’Ain

Formerly Vin de Pays de l’Ain, IGP Coteaux de l’Ain covers vineyards in the whole of the department. The following sub-regions may be added to the name, depending where the vineyards are: Val de Saône, which is close to the Beaujolais region; Revermont, just south of the Jura; Valromey, just outside the AOC Bugey; and Pays de Gex, on the borders of the Geneva canton of Switzerland. Only the last two areas are within the scope of this book. All colours and styles of wines may be produced from a long list of grape varieties, which include internationally recognized varieties plus those used in Bugey, Savoie, Jura and Switzerland.

The Diois

Located southeast of Valence and technically considered part of the Rhône Valley wine region, the Diois forms a lozenge shape running either side of the Drôme river and surrounded by mountains, with the town of Die almost in the middle. Sparkling wines dominate and there are two main regional appellations for them: the most important is AOC Clairette de Die, whose rules have been revised substantially since its beginnings in 1942 and now includes two entirely different sparkling wine styles; and AOC Crémant de Die. There are two small appellations for still wines.

Note that the villages entitled to the AOCs below are specifically excluded from making sparkling wines under the IGP Drôme designation.

AOC Clairette de Die

This appellation could be considered a regional wine appellation for the Diois region and includes 31 villages, all of which are also entitled to the AOCs Crémant de Die and Coteaux de Die, outlined overleaf. The 31 include 12 entitled also to the AOC Châtillon-en-Diois. The two styles of sparkling wine made are as follows:

Clairette de Die followed by the term ‘Méthode Ancestrale’, denoting the local ‘ancestral’ method using a single fermentation in bottle, is a low-alcohol (7–9%) medium-sweet sparkling white. It must be made from a minimum of 75% Muscat à Petits Grains Blanc and may include up to 25% Clairette and/or Muscat à Petits Grains Rouge. The wine must remain in contact with the lees in bottle for at least four months. Residual sugar in the final sparkling wine must be at least 35g/l. (See here for production details.)

Clairette de Die, normally followed by the word ‘Brut’ (but this is not stated in the rule book), is a dry white sparkling wine made with the second fermentation in bottle from 100% Clairette grapes. The wine must remain in contact with the lees in bottle for at least nine months. Most producers are replacing Clairette de Die Brut with Crémant de Die.

Rosé Clairette de Die Méthode Ancestrale was authorized for the 2016 and 2017 vintages, before being outlawed following a court case brought by Bugey Cerdon. With a minimum of 75% Muscat à Petits Grains Blanc or Rouge, it could also include Clairette and up to a maximum of 10% Gamay. At the time of writing the situation is at stalemate: producers were holding the part-fermented wine in tanks, hoping for a legal way to label and sell it.

Only around half a million bottles of Crémant de Die are made annually, compared with 12 million of Clairette de Die.

AOC Crémant de Die

Die was given the Crémant appellation from 1993 for white sparkling wines only, made in the traditional method. These have to follow all the rules for Crémant as outlined for Crémant de Savoie.

Clairette is the principal variety and must make up at least 55% of the blend, with some Aligoté; Muscat à Petits Grains is also allowed, up to 10% maximum. Crémant de Die must have a maximum residual sugar of 15g/l after the addition of dosage.

AOC Châtillon-en-Diois

This appellation, created in 1975, is for still white, red and rosé wines from specific villages around Châtillon-en-Diois, to the southeast of the town of Die.

Dry white wines may be from Aligoté and/or Chardonnay. Reds and rosés must come only from Châtillon-en-Diois and Menglon. They must include Gamay (minimum 75%) and may be blends with Pinot Noir and/or Syrah.

AOC Coteaux de Die

Very few producers use this appellation, created in 1993; it applies to still white wines made from 100% Clairette.

IGP Drôme

Still white, red and rosé wines may be made in the Diois under the departmental designation, from a very large range of authorized grape varieties, including those found elsewhere in the Alpine regions, international varieties and typical southern French varieties.

Hautes-Alpes

IGP Hautes-Alpes

Still and sparkling white, red and rosé wines may be made in the Hautes-Alpes under this designation from a very large range of authorized grape varieties, including those found elsewhere in the Alpine regions, international varieties and typical southern French varieties.

Looking across the Isère river plain to the high Alps, the vineyards of Cruet in the Combe de Savoie are dominated by the Dent d’Arclusaz. The next chapter explores how mountains influence the terroir of French Alpine vineyards.