Jurancon Sec: Domaine Nigri Confluence

First cultivated by the Romans, the South West is one of France's largest wine-producing regions, encompassing a vast and varied area to the west of (but not including) Bordeaux. Its local rivers, such as the Garonne and Dordogne, once played an important role in transporting the wines to market, though having to pass through Bordeaux and its protective trade laws left the region long overshadowed by its famous neighbour. Today, the South West is celebrated for its sweet, dry, and sparkling whites and its robust reds, made from an exceptional diversity of local grape varieties rarely found elsewhere. Its varying climates and elevations produce some genuinely distinctive and characterful wines.

A rare and prized white-wine appellation set on steep, high-altitude vineyards in the foothills of the Pyrenees, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques of South-West France. Granted AOC status in 1936 and once celebrated in royal courts, it is made chiefly from the local Gros Manseng and Petit Manseng - which must form at least 50% of any blend - alongside distinctive varieties such as Courbu and Petit Courbu. It is renowned above all for its lusciously sweet wines, created by harvesting the grapes late once they have shrivelled and concentrated on the vine, giving rich, aromatic wines balanced by vibrant acidity. Increasingly, the region also produces elegant dry whites (Jurançon Sec), making it one of the most characterful and rewarding white-wine sources in France.