The history of the vine in Bergerac
The Bergerac vineyard, with its 12,300 hectares and 900 winegrowers, is the other major vineyard in Aquitaine after its big brother in Bordeaux. Its origins go back a long way. Even if it was the Etruscans who introduced the vine to France as early as the 7th century B.C., those of the Bergerac vineyard go back rather to Roman times. It is estimated that the Romans planted the first vines around Bergerac around 60 BC. The Roman legions were responsible for the initial impetus, and over the centuries, monks became winegrowers after clearing land to gain a few acres of land. At the time, rich land was reserved for food crops, while vines were relegated to the less noble lands... What an irony! The vineyards initially developed around the abbeys and the beverage was kept in their cellars. Even if in the 12th century, the vine was often replaced by food crops, the Middle Ages saw a beautiful expansion of the vine, along the Dordogne valley, sheltered by the gentle flow of the river. Recognised for their quality and exported to England from the middle of the 13th century, the wines of Bergerac set out to conquer northern Europe from the 16th century. It was at this time that the Dutch discovered the sweetness and smoothness of the white wines, particularly from the Montbazillac terroir. We still speak today of the "Dutch brands", names given to the wines of Monbazillac sold in the Netherlands at the end of the 17th and 18th centuries. The history of winegrowing, Protestantism and the Wars of Religion are intimately intertwined in very complex historical and human issues. Over time, agricultural techniques were refined, with the vines first creeping along the ground, then being trained into stakes, and finally planted in rows as we know them today. You don't have to be very clever to realise that this crop proved to be much more profitable than the others, so much so that the vineyards spread throughout the department until the end of the 19th century. Unfortunately, the Dordogne did not escape the terrible ravages of phylloxera. Courage and perseverance were necessary after this terrible ordeal to renew the vineyard, notably thanks to an American rootstock. It was not until the second half of the 20th century that the Bergeracois got rid of its reputation as a "small" wine and finally found its letters of nobility on the greatest tables. Today, thanks to massive investments from abroad, the renewal of harvesting and vinification practices, and the courage of the local men and women, Bergerac wines hold their own against their Bordeaux neighbours.
The Bergerac region's appellations
There are 13 purely Bergerac appellations, spread over 90 villages. The particularity is that it is one of the rare regions to produce as many white wines as reds.
Bergerac is divided into 5 appellations: the Bergerac Red appellation concerns wines made from the traditional grape varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot noir, Côt or Malbec). These are elegant, supple and fruity red wines. The Bergerac rosé appellation is fairly recent, and responds to a demand for fresh, festive wines for the summer. The dry white Bergerac is made from Sémillon, Muscadelle, Ondenc, Sauvignon and Chenin blanc grapes. Excellent served chilled as an aperitif or at the table with seafood. The red Côtes de Bergerac are more structured and full-bodied than their Bergerac counterparts. As for the Cotes de Bergerac Blanc, they are mellow wines with a delicate bouquet.
Pécharmant is a red appellation that covers only 300 ha to the north-east of Bergerac. It is a wine for laying down that has good press and goes very well with the classics of Perigord cuisine.
On the right bank, the Montravel appellation is divided into four appellations: the reds have great aromatic complexity with floral notes, halfway between the power of Bergerac and the subtlety of Saint-Émilion. The white Montravel is a lowland wine, round and structured, which is wonderful as an aperitif. The Côtes de Montravel are slightly mellow and floral, they express themselves with a pleasant lightness. The Haut Montravel is much softer. Taste it with a blue-veined cheese, it is a perfect match
The famous Monbazillac is located on the south coast of the Dordogne valley. It is the sweet wine par excellence. The noble rot (Botrytis Cinérea) is at the origin of the unique taste of this nectar and its recognizable golden colour. The ideal accompaniment is a foie gras
The Saussignac appellation produces well-balanced sweet wines with aromas of acacia and white fruits
And finally, the very confidential Rosette appellation, located north of Bergerac, has only a dozen winegrowers. They produce semi-dry or sweet white wines with a straw colour and subtle aromas of white flowers and citrus fruits.
The other appellation, Vin de Domme
In recent years, winegrowers have also replanted some 20 hectares of vines in Domme. This has enabled them to revive a wine-growing tradition that goes back to Gallo-Roman times. Subsequently, the expansion of vineyards in Domme is linked to the considerable work of clearing and planting carried out for the Cistercian monks of Cadouin Abbey. There are "fiscal" traces of the existence of Domme wine, notably through a tax called "vinée". From the 15th century, we have preserved numerous official acts attesting to the sale of plots of land dedicated to the vine. But it was only in the 17th century that the trade in Domme wines took off. Some of them were even served on the kings' table. It is essentially to the Dordogne river and the port of Domme that we owe this flourishing trade, because they allowed to reach the port of Bordeaux in barges. In the 18th century, business was so good that the vineyard became almost a monoculture. Vines grew everywhere, including on difficult terrain and terraced ravines. It was a boom in exports to England and the Netherlands. It was to be a golden age, until the arrival of phylloxera. In Périgord, the years 1870-1890 were particularly disastrous. The surface area of vineyards in the Dordogne was divided by 5. Misery drove the workforce to the cities. The vineyards of Domme did not recover and were replaced by corn, tobacco and livestock. Little by little, over the generations, the know-how and the knowledge of the vine are lost... In 1993, the association of the Friends of the Wine of the Country of Domme, made up of elected representatives and inhabitants, has the ambition to give life again to this forgotten vineyard. In 1997, the Cooperative des vignerons des coteaux du Céou was created. Since 31 December 2011, the Wine of Domme can boast of its PGI, and a good twenty hectares planted on clay-limestone soil. With several medals at the Concours Général de Paris, the winegrowers of Domme can be proud of their work. Let's hope that this is just the beginning of a long adventure!
Brandies, Cognac and Ratafia
Traditionally, the Perigord meal ends with a small glass of brandy. This practice tends to disappear today, for obvious health reasons, we consume less alcohol. The "bouilleurs de cru" (distillers) who used to criss-cross the countryside with their stills are becoming increasingly rare. But the know-how remains and is only waiting to be revived, within the administrative and legal limits. At the family level, if you are staying with friends, or even at a table d'hôtes, you will surely have the opportunity to follow this custom by ending your meal with a "plum" or a "pear". Unless you are offered ratafia. This is a sweet alcoholic drink, obtained by macerating plants (fruit, grape must, plants) in alcohol. In Périgord, you will have the pleasure to dip your fingers in your glass, to go fishing by the tail, a cherry or a plum preserved in the sweetened brandy. The gourmet option is to serve you some "old boy's jam" which, according to the same process and in a single jar, mixes all the fruits according to the seasons. To finish this inventory, we can't forget the Cognac. The Saint-Aulaye region has been listed as a Cognac PDO since 1909. The commune has taken the gamble of honouring this beverage by planting 2 hectares of colombard. Backed by the Camus house, it is a local cuvée made in Périgord that has seen the light of day for the first time in 2019, with 3,000 bottles of the 2015 vintage. It remains to reinvent the way of drinking it, now: beyond the traditional digestif, why not in a cocktail or extended with soda at aperitif time? You can tell us what you think! But above all, we can never say it enough, consume all these alcohols in moderation!
The Vignobles et Découvertes label
Created in 2009, the Vignobles & Découvertes label is awarded for a period of 3 years by Atout France, after recommendation by the Conseil Supérieur de l'Œnotourisme, to wine tourism destinations offering a range of complementary products (accommodation, restaurants, cellar visits and tastings, museums, events, etc.) and making it easier for customers to organise their stay. Thanks to this label, you will be able to find more easily an accommodation in the heart of the vineyards, a restaurant proposing a food and wine pairing or a menu favouring local products or even cellars ready to welcome you..
