France's Alpine Budget Whites: Savoie!
In our membership, Sunday School Wine Society, we recently released a series of lessons on one of my favorite underrated and overlooked regions in France: Savoie!
Everyone was asking me, of all the regions…why Savoie?! And this is why…
Well, as with most regions, you can totally nerd out and dig into all the different crus and soil types and explore the dozens of native grape varieties—however, the real reason I love it is because you don’t *have* to!
Savoie, unlike other regions, can be shockingly simple, if you want it to be.
But first, what’s Savoie?
Savoie is a region in eastern France, right on the border of Switzerland, and literally in the Alps. (It’s France’s only true mountain region.)
And why Savoie? Like I mentioned, there are tons of grape varieties, lots of fancy crus and sub appellations, however, most of it doesn’t get imported into the States, and even the little bit that does, doesn’t necessarily make it to your average wine shop.
Savoie wines are reliably good!
So, when you *do* see a wine from Savoie, chances are it will be a white made from Jacquère and it will be under $20 (often under $15) and, best part?
See? Sometimes the simplicity of lack of choice is quite refreshing…like Alpine mountain breeze. Aaaaaahhhhhhh.
If you see an under $20 wine from Savoie, no questioning, no second guessing—you can buy it confidently with ease.
What do they taste like?
Jacquère is Savoie’s workhorse white. The wines are not overly complex. They’re not thinker wines. But they *are* delicious.
They are lighter in body, lower in alcohol, with tons of minerality, and notes of flowers, citrus, and ripe fruit.
What should you pair with a Savoie?
Pair them with fondue (a classic—look for a Savoy fondue recipe), light appetizers, or tbh, these wines are perfect a la carte. They are made to be refreshing apres-ski beverages. Or, if your life is anything like mine, you won’t be skiing, but maybe you just took the dog for a walk or you just took out the trash or you’re just looking for an easy afternoon, rainy springtime refresher.
Speaking of simplicity, I haven’t even told you the ULTIMATE best part about Savoie which is that they are super easy to spot. I’m gonna give you the secret trick. Stay tuned ‘til next week. Can't wait? CLICK HERE FOR A SPOILER VID 👉
P.S. Are you a member of Sunday School Wine Society? Did you miss the Savoie lessons? Check them out for way more on Savoie: the history of this tiny region, other super-cool Savoie grape varieties, the subregions and fancy crus to look for, specific wine recommendations & more!
The two grapes that really steal the show in your Bordeaux reds are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. There’s a big difference in style between the two. So, how do they taste different, and how do you know which one you’re getting (cause it won’t say on the label)?