Flavors of Tarn

All about French Wines > Wines from the South-West > Gaillac

One of the oldest wine regions of the South-West, Gaillac is spread out over 3 500 ha of vines with well integrated mixed farming. There exists a certain number of wine growing sites and different soils throughout the appellation, but in general, the soils are divided between stony in the Tarn Valley and limestone slopes in the north. The former is mainly a red wine terroir and the latter is mostly white wine. Together, the two areas produce 214 000 hl annually. The reds and rosés are made from fer servadou (braucol), duras, syrah, gamay, négrette, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot. The whites – from sweet to dry and pearly to sparkling are mostly made from mauzac and len de l’el, to which ondenc, sauvignon blanc and muscadelle can be added. The best sweet wines of the appellation are amazing.

History
As far back as the 13th and 14th centuries, when the bastides of the Albigeois saw the light of day, the crowned heads of France were singing the praises of the vins de Gaillac. This wine was shipped far and wide from the ports of Rabastens and Lisle-sur-Tarn on the Tarn River. Credit must go to the Benedictines of the medieval Abbey Saint-Michel in Gaillac for establishing the vineyards, originally created by the Romans, and for recognizing their true potential.