Wine* and drinks

Savoie wines*

The wine-growing areas of Savoie Mont Blanc - the Combe de Savoie, the banks of Lake Bourget, Chautagne, Seyssel, Frangy, the Arve Valley and the shores of Lake Geneva - have been known since Antiquity.

 

 

White wines are made from Jacquère, Altesse, Chasselas, Gringet and Roussanne grapes; red wines from Mondeuse, Gamay and Pinot.

 

Savoie's fruity and light-coloured white wines are best enjoyed chilled, as an aperitif or as an accompaniment for fish, seafood and hors d'oeuvres, for cheese, or, of course, for fondue.

 

 

The region's sparkling wines (Ayze, Seyssel and Pétillant de Savoie) can also be savoured as aperitifs or with dessert.

 

 

The red and rosé wines made from Gamay grapes wines are perfect with main courses, cooked meats and Savoie cheeses, whereas the richer, more ample Mondeuse provides an ideal complement for red meat and game dishes. These wines can be laid down for around 5 years.

More information

Recipe: Mulled wine or Vin chaud  

  

Mineral waters

The qualities of the waters of Evian-les-Bains, Thonon-les-Bains and Aix-les-Bains are renowned throughout the world.

 

Evian water is produced by rain and snowmelt water filtering through a bed of glacial sand.

 

Thonon water takes its source on the Versoie Plateau, from where it trickles through sands and clays, absorbing minerals as it goes, before emerging at a temperature of 13°C. Its diuretic properties have been recognised since Roman times.

 

Aix water is a light and lightly mineralised water containing bicarbonates of calcium and magnesium that is bottled at Grésy sur Aix.

 

 

Beers*

Local beers have quickly gained a reputation for their character and for the fact that they are brewed using mineral water:  La Souveraine, La Cordée - a pure-malt, craft-made beer fermented with bilberries rather than hops - La Blanche du Mont-Blanc - a light lager made from malt, wheat, hops, coriander and orange.

 

 

La Grolle*

Savoie's cup of friendship originated in the Aosta Valley.

 

Legend has it that Savoyard shepherds used to mix coffee and alcohol in a wooden clog, known as a grolle.

 

Now, a grolle is a shallow wooden pot with several spouts for drinking out of. Generally, they are attractively decorated (often, the head of an ibex or an edelweiss is carved into the lid). The principle is simple - pass the pot around, and each person drinks in turn, until it is empty!

Recipe: La Grolle

 

* Alcohol can damage your health. To be consumed in moderation.