Côtes de Gascogne

The Association of Producers of the Vins de Pays Côtes de Gascogne was founded on 15 March 1979. It protects the interests of the members, determines the production standards and ensures respect of these rules. The association counts on this moment approximately 1,400 wine farmers. Of them, 1,300 are members of cooperative cellars, the so-called caves coopératives.

The most famous producers are Château de Tariquet, Domaine de Joÿ, Plaimont, Uby...

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There are also 150 independently working wine farmers, who produce their wines themselves.

With a permitted production quantity of 830,000 hectoliters per year, the Gers is France's largest producer of white Vin de Pays, with a production potential of more than 100 million bottles per year, of which 75% are for export.

In the Gers, the production volumes are more or less as follows: 91% white wine, 8% red and 1% rosé wine. This is very atypical for the southwest of France, because in neighbouring departments mainly red wine is produced.

There are red, rosé and white wine. Wines are produced only from the defined area.

The types of grapes for red and rosé wine are Abouriou, Merlot, Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet franc, Duras, Fer, Négrette, Portugias bleu, Malbec and Tannat.

The types of grapes for white wine are Colombard, Petit Manseng, Gros Manseng, Len de l'El, Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon, Muscadelle and Ugni blanc.

The Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée-région Côtes de Gascogne, Armagnac and Floc de Gascogne (a local aperitif) are identical. The three Armagnac sub-regions Armagnac-Ténarèze, Bas-Armagnac and Haut-Armagnac form in a way the Côtes de Gascogne.

The region is mainly in the Gers where two thirds of the vineyards, nearly 12 thousand hectares are used for the production of the Côtes de Gascogne wines.

In Gers the cantons: Auch, Cazaubon, Condom, Fleurance, Jegun, Lectoure, Montesquiou, Montréal, Nogaro, Riscle, Plaisance, Aignan, Valence-sur-Baïse, Vic-Fezensac.

The Appellation d'origine contrôlée was in 2005 extended with the Armagnac vineyards lying in twenty-five municipalities in the Bas-Armagnac which are in the department Landes and fourteen other municipalities in the Armagnac-Ténarèze which are in Lot-et-Garonne. The total surface of Côtes de Gascogne thus arrives at 15 thousand hectares.

Alluvial soil with clay and sand.

The Atlantic Ocean although far away behind Les Landes still has influence, further spring is rather wet and it is sunny in the rest of the year.

• French wine

• Syndicat des Côtes de Gascogne