Béarn (wine region)

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The Sud-Ouest wine-growing region

The Béarn wine-growing region is located in the Sud-Ouest wine-growing region in France . The historical region of Béarn gave it its name . The vineyards cover around 220 hectares of vineyards, which are spread across 84 communities. The designation of origin has had the status of an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC for short) for red wine , rosé wine and white wine since October 17, 1975 . In 1997 a decree was passed in which the cultivation area was restricted to 39 municipalities. There is a transition period up to the year 2022.

The Béarn growing area is divided into three parts. In the northern area it is almost congruent with the appellations Madiran and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh . South of the city of Pau , the growing area overlaps with the Jurançon Designation of Origin . The area known as Béarn-Bellocq is near Salies-de-Béarn, closer to the Atlantic.

The vineyards are located at an average height of approx. 300  m on the gentle slopes of the foothills of the Pyrenees .

Grape varieties

In general, the yields are limited to 50 hectoliters / hectare.

The red and rosé wines consist of the grape varieties Tannat , Cabernet Franc (which is locally called Bouchy), Cabernet Sauvignon , Fer Servadou (locally called Pinenc), Manseng Noir and Courbu Noir . The share of the leading variety Tannat is limited to a maximum of 60 percent. The natural alcohol content must be at least 10.5 percent by volume and the must weight must be at least 189 g / l.

For white wine, the grape varieties are Petit Manseng , Gros Manseng , Courbu , Lauzet , Camaralet de Lasseube , Raffiat de Moncade and Sauvignon Blanc . The natural alcohol content must also be at least 10.5 percent by volume and the must weight must be at least 178 g / l.

The planting density is at least 2000 vines / hectare, a very low value that is not conducive to quality cultivation.

climate

The cultivation area is about 100 km from the Atlantic Ocean and a maximum of 50 km from the Pyrenees. The climate is therefore significantly influenced by the Atlantic low pressure areas coming from the west or northwest. The annual rainfall is 1000–1120 mm, depending on the sub-region, the annual sunshine duration is a moderate 1900 hours for the southern location.

The average temperature is a mild 12.5–13 degrees Celsius, despite the moderately high duration of sunshine. This is explained by the greenhouse effect of a cloud cover that often accumulates in the Pyrenees. The area also benefits from warm down winds . Slopes are favored by the microclimate, as cold air accumulates in the valley floor.

Approved municipalities

The wine-growing region near Lasseubat

In the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department there are vineyards in the municipalities of Abos , Arbus , Arricau-Bordes , Arrosès , Artiguelouve , Aubertin , Aubous , Aurions-Idernes , Aydie , Baigts-de-Béarn , Bellocq , Bérenx , Bétracq , Bosdarros , Burosse-Mendousse , Cadillon , Cardesse , Carresse-Cassaber , Castagnède , Castetpugon , Castillon , Conchez-de-Béarn , Corbère-Abères , Crouseilles , Cuqueron , Diusse , Escurès , Estialescq , Gan , Gayon , Gelos , Haut-de-Bosdarros , L'Hôpital- d'Orion , Jurançon , Lacommande , Lagor , Lahontan , Lahourcade , Laroin , Lasserre , Lasseube , Lasseubetat , Lembeye , Lespielle , Lucq-de-Béarn , Mascaraàs-Haron , Mazères-Lezons , Moncaup , Moncla , Monein , Monpezat , Mont- Disse , Mourenx , Narcastet , Ogenne-Camptort , Oraàs , Orthez , Parbayse , Portet , Puyoô , Ramous , Rontignon , Saint-Faust , Saint-Jean-Poudge , Sainte-Suzanne (now part of Orthez), Salies-de-Béarn , Salles-Mongiscard , Sauvelade , Séméacq-Blachon , Tadousse-Ussau , Tadon-Sadira c-Vielleave , Uzos , Vialer and Vielleségure approved.

In the Hautes-Pyrénées department , the municipalities of Castelnau-Rivière-Basse , Hagedet , Lascazères , Madiran , Saint-Lanne and Soublecause are located in the defined region. In the Gers department , this applies to the municipalities of Cannet , Maumusson-Laguian and Viella .

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