The village of Sauternes, France and its famous Noble Rot

October 21, 2014

We've heard plenty of great things about this wine growing phenomenon called noble rot, and since we are working in the Bordeaux region of France, we decided to head straight for the place where noble rot is arguably most famous: Sauternes, a region 50 km from the city of Bordeaux. The Sauternes wines are made from Sémillon, Sauvignon blanc, and Muscadelle grapes. The sleepy village of Sauternes is surrounded by gorgeous vineyards with a terroir like no other. The region has a unique micro-climate that provokes the grapes to shrivel and sweeten into some of the most delicious sweet wines the world has known. We were lucky enough to be right in midst of grape harvest season, a period that is much longer than in most other wine regions, as the grapes shrivel at different rates and are periodically hand picked when ready. This is typically between October and November.

We first visited Chateau Guiraud, a gorgeous property where we had the pleasure of taking a tour and doing a wine tasting.

Next, we headed to the village of Sauternes itself. There you will find La Maison du Vigneron Sauternes, which you can't miss due to its colourful entrance right off the main square.

This is a must stop to learn everything you always wanted to know about Sauternes. It's a wine shop that offers an amazing selection of local Sauternes wines, as well as other regional specialities. In addition to running this shop and tasting bar, proprietors Chrystelle and Marion, are winemakers operating a family owned winery.

We are also excited to announce that La Maison du Vigneron Sauternes has become our latest partner and now carries the Wine Check luggage. The shop has prices near equivalent to those directly from producers and offers a free tasting with the purchase of 6 bottles.

Have you tried any Sauternes lately? Have you been to the region?

La Maison du Vigneron Sauternes, 2 rue Principale, Sauternes, France +33 5 57 31 00 89

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