2008 Le Cellier du Palais, Jacquère, Savoie, France

Jacquère is indeed a type of grape grown exclusively in the Savoie region, located in the French Alps, neighboring Switzerland and Italy. The terrior is not what I thought it would be at first guess. When I first heard about this varietal, I immediately thought it was going to be extremely teeth-numbing, high acid country. I was wrong (ouch, that's hard to admit). The Savoie region is not considered a "cool climate," it's positioned just at the beginning of Southern France and most vines have a nice sunny exposure. It is also not at a high altitude, so snow is rarely found on these vines.

The winery is organic and produces, at most, 4,000 cases a year. The wine is hand-picked, undergos cold fermentation and is sur lies for 4 to 10 months. There is no malolactic fermentation or oak on this wine. The body and minerality is similar to a Muscadet, and the nose is very much like a Roussane with a floral note combined with a slight citrus edge. This wine is perfect to start the evening with. It will pair easily with many cheeses and shellfish. If you want to save it for warmer weather, it will be perfect for picnics. Personally, I am breaking out the Raclette and going for a superb pairing.