“…one of the New France’s most startlingly improved wine regions: great grape varieties, forgotten terroirs of outstanding quality, and the burning desire to prove a point.” –Andrew Jefford, The New France

Southwest France offers some of the country's best wine values and individual expressions of terroir yet these wines are drastically underrepresented in the U.S. market. I'm as guilty as anyone for not drinking these as often as I should and I needed a wine map while tasting a lineup of these today with fellow Master Sommelier Fred Dexheimer.

Makeshift wine map of Southwest France presented by Fred Dexheimer, MS

The Southwest, or Sud-Ouest, is not a coheisive region like Burgundy or Champagne but a collection of twenty or so unique appellations. Situated just south of Bordeaux, a few of these appellations employ Bordeaux varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec. There are also many local and obscure varietals in use such as Fer and Négrette which make for some really interesting wines. This is the region of Gascony and home of many classic French dishes. The red wines are at their best with duck confit or Cassoulet while sweet Juraçon makes for an ideal pairing with foie gras or salty blue cheese. What I like most about these wines is their rusticity and the way they transport you to rural France where the people are hardworking but friendly and the cuisine is rich and hearty. If you'd like to receive our future offers of wines from Southwest France sign-up for our e-mails.

Seven Southwest France Wines You Should Know:

• Cahors - North of Toulouse on the River Lot producing Malbec in two styles: fruity/early-drinking and serious/tannic (Vieux Chaors). Recommended: Clos la Coutale
• Madiran - Near the Pyrénées producing dark and tannic red wines from Tannat and Cabernets. Recommended: Alain Brumont (large estate, no micro-ox, new wood)
• Gaillac - Northest of Toulouse on the River Tarn producing many styles from Duras, Fer, Mauzac, Ondenc. Recommended: Domaine du Moulin Méthode Gaillaçoise
• Bergerac - Near Bordeaux producing wines from similar grapes (i.e. Cabernets and Merlot for the reds). Recommended: Tour des Gendres (40-ha, bio, traditional)
• Juraçon - Near the Pyrénées producing dry (sec) and sweet wines from Gros Manseng and Petite Manseng. Recommended: Cauhapé (perfectionist Henri Ramonteu)
• Fronton - Just north of Toulouse producing lovely blended red wines mainly from Négrette Recommended: Domaine Le Roc (20-ha, various ferment vessels)
• Irouléguy - In the French Pyrénées producing red wines from Tannat and whites from Courbu and Mansengs. Recommended: Herri Mina (winemaker at Pétrus)

I'd love to hear about your experiences with these wines. Does anyone have any well-aged Cahors stashed away in their cellars? Have you had a food pairing epiphany with a crisp bottle of Irouléguy blanc?