Lucq de Bearn, SW France - Jurancon Wine - A great French secret

This area is home to the Jurancon wine region and served by Pau Pyrenees airport from which there are direct flights to Paris, Lyons, Belgium, Holland and the UK. There are two main regional centres Monein and Jurancon (from which the wine takes its name), along the villages of Lucq de Bearn, Gan, Cardesse and Lahourade. The varieties grown here will probably be unfamiliar to most wine lovers - they are the gros manseng and the petit manseng. These vines are grown over the hillsides facing the Pyrenees mountains and are picked late compared with many other southern French regions. Historically this appellation was reputably this first to gain its status in France and was used in the blessing of the baby King Henri IV as he was put in his cradle, a large turtle shell, now is on display in the chateau of Pau.

The wine is available both as sec (dry) or doux (sweet). The sec is a fruity, well balanced dry wine. The sweet, the more famous, can be made from either just the gros manseng (least expensive), a mixture of both the gros and petit manseng or as pure petit manseng (the most expensive). Prices vary from a very reasonable 5 euros to about 150 euros for the best vintage, from best vineyards, with many wines available less than 10euros a bottle. The doux is wonderful with foie gras. Often drunk by the French as an aperitif and by other nationalities as a dessert wine.

There are about 30 domains in the entire area many of which are open to the public either throughout the year or on special occasions. The domain in Lucq de Bearn, Domaine Larroude, has been in the same family ownership for many years and boasts in small tasting centre open daily which also offers the neighbouring farms duck products for sale as well as their excellent and well priced wines.

So, if you fancy a short break or week away wine tasting, why not find a bargain flight and come, see and taste what this area has to offer, because the wine is just one thing amongst the spectacular scenery, historic towns and villages, elegant boulevards of Pau itself, the amazing local foods and you can be sure of a very friendly welcome from the local Bearnaise people.

Written by Gillian Pye - Owner of Property 94840 in Lucq de Bearn, France