Gringel

Today, we have decided to stay in Savoy, or Savoie if you prefer, but we are about as far east as you can go without leaving France. The tiny little compartment of Ayze is what we would think of as a suburb of the town of Bonneville except that Bonneville is too small to have suburbs. It, in fact, is a southeastern suburb of Geneva, Switzerland.

Ayze is what we might think of as a valley town within the French Alps. At an elevation of 465 meters/1535 feet, the weather here can be quite cool, not ideal for traditional grapes although they are able to grow Pinot Noir and Roussanne. They also grow a grape that can't be found anywhere else called Gringel. It's what is known as an autochthonous grape; that is, it is indigenous to the area and evolved with no outside intervention. That's right; nobody can find a tie from Gringel to any grape from outside of Ayze including the various Traminer with which it seems to share many characteristics.

While it's sometimes made as a still and highly aromatic white wine much in the style of the Traminers to which we referred earlier, Gringel is best known as the grape in the sparkling wines of Savoie.

Made using the methode traditional or methode Champenoise, if you prefer, these wines can be either semi-sparkling or fully sparkling. They are characterized by very bright, refreshing flavors somewhat different from the often nutty notes of Champagne.

Imagine drinking Champagne that is characterized by citrus and floral notes and that unlike the finest wines of Champagne should probably be comsumed at the latest within a month of buying the bottle. These are not ageworthy wines, but they can be quite refreshing and are quite food-friendly.

Unlike most wines that are meant to be consumed quickly and more like Champagne, these wines are not inexpensive. So, if you want a treat and are willing to pay for it, but want to drink it right away, these might be the wines for you.