Jacquère is...?

A) a varietal
B) a wine region in France
C) a common name for winemakers in France
D) a technique for filtering wine
E) a wine region in Italy

ANSWER:
A - a varietal

Jacquère is indeed a type of grape grown exclusively in the Savoie region of France, which is 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). This is not considered "cool climate," it is 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.

This month we feature a wine from Savoie made from the Jacquère grape. 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 for warmer weather, it will also be perfect for picnics. Personally, I am breaking out the raclette and going for a superb pairing.