Gaillac Wine Region

Gaillac wine, the historical winemaking region, is now enjoying a fresh development with a name that is only 80 years old! Gaillac wine, whether white or red, will liven up your happy hour, and Gaillac wine tastings will give you lots of unforgettable memories. You will undoubtedly find what you are looking for among the AOC wines. This post has been aimed at assisting you to discover hidden gems of the Gaillac wine region.

Check out the best wine tastings and tours in Gaillac!

Where is the Gaillac Wine Region?

Gaillac is in the Tarn department of the Occitane region of southwest France, 18 kilometers from Olbia and 50 kilometers from Toulouse. Its vineyard stretches all the way to the Tarn Valley, on the terraces of both banks and the foothills to the north.

Gaillac's vineyard stretches for more than 60 kilometers. It begins in Cunac, east of Albi, and runs down the Tarn River valley until it reaches Saint-Sulpice, west of the city. 

French wine with Roman origins. History of Gaillac wine region

Gaillac wines are considered one of France's oldest. When the Romans came to this area, they quickly discovered they could make excellent wine using their grape varietals. Some of these grape types are still available, but the majority are no more.

The Romans were masters at establishing trade routes. However, when the Roman Empire fell, much of this region's wine economy collapsed, and they didn't export wine for a long time.

Later, as monasteries sprang up all across the Southwest, they began producing and selling wine. They used traditional grape types as well as introducing new ones. Beginning in the 800s and 900s, Gaillac wines started to gain popularity. Even kings wanted to get their hands on this wine. It helped that a boat called a "gabare" could cross the Tarn and the Gironde. This allowed the wine to be transported by boat all the way to the ocean in Bordeaux.

When the people who controlled access to the port in Bordeaux began to levy taxes, Gaillac wines became prohibitively expensive in comparison to Bordeaux wines, and people began to forget about Gaillac wines. But it's made a huge comeback in recent years, and it's amazing to see how many small producers are producing excellent wine in this region.

Unique Terroir of Gaillac 

Gaillac terroir conditions are exceptional. The climate is more continental than the Mediterranean or Atlantic. Summers are hot and dry, with the majority of rain falling between September and April. Autan, the warm east breeze, is another unique attribute of Gaillac AOC terroir. 

Gaillac soil type is characterized by a great variety: the right bank of the Tarn consists of a mixture of clay and limestone, and the left bank consists of sand and river pebbles. In the vineyards of the northern part of the district, located on the terraces surrounding the picturesque village of Cordes, the soil is rich in limestone, which is ideal for white wines. But in Albi, for example, sand and gravel create excellent conditions for the production of the most exquisite red wines.

Wine characteristics of Gaillac AOC

• Red wines: Syrah, Gamay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Portage Bleu, Fer Servadou, Negrette, Braucol.

• White wines: Mauzac, Sauvignon blanc, Muscadel, Ondenc, Len de l'El.

Gaillac’s white wines are dry, sweet or semi-sweet, calm, effervescent and even pearly. Pearl is one of the traditional types of dry white wine. For its production, when bottling, it is monitored that a little carbon dioxide remains in the wine, which appeared as a result of malolactic fermentation. In a glass, these bubbles resemble pearls, hence the name of the wine.

Sparkling wines are produced either by the traditional or local method, which is also called "rustic" and is used in other areas of France. Its essence is in interrupting the primary fermentation process. In the old days, barrels of wort were placed in ice water for this purpose. Today, centrifuges are used, and the sediment from secondary fermentation is removed by stirring.

Semi-sweet wines are made from grapes of late harvest, at the stage of full ripeness. Fermentation of the wort is slow, and it is artificially interrupted so that the wine retains its sweet taste. The content of residual sugar in the sweet wine Gaillac should be 70 g/l; in semi-sweet, this indicator is left to the discretion of the winemaker.

Among Gaillac red wines, two types are the most typical (both are made on the basis of Duras grapes). In the first case, Fer Servadou is added to the assemblage to give body, and Syrah is added to improve the color; in the second, Merlot and Cabernet are mixed, so that the wine tastes like Bordeaux. Red Gaillac has some aging ability, but it is considered better to drink it young.

Food to Pair with Gaillac wine

Aubisque Pyrénées 

Aubisque Pyrénées is a Toulouse-based traditional French cheese. The cheese is made from a combination of cow's milk and ewe's milk or cow's milk and sheep's milk. Before consuming, this semi-hard cheese is normally aged for two months. The texture beneath its natural rind is smooth, with only a few tiny eyes spread throughout the body. The flavors are mild and smooth, and if the milk mixture comprises more cow's milk, the flavors are often softer. Aubisque Pyrénées goes well with handmade bread and cold cuts.

Foie Gras

The most delicate pate that melts in your tongue, foie gras is one of the most famous specialties of French cuisine. It is made with the liver of a specially fattened duck or goose. Unlike traditional duck or goose liver pate, the flavor of foie gras is rich, buttery, and soft.

Garbure

Garbure is the ideal cuisine to eat in Toulouse. This thick, savory soup with a blend of meat and vegetables is commonly served throughout the winter months. Although the particular ingredients vary depending on where you eat – it was traditionally made by peasants using whatever ingredients were available at the time – cabbage and pork are two constants.

Places to visit in Gaillac

Toulouse. A “pink city” of France

Located between the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, Toulouse fascinates tourists with a combination of modern lifestyle and historical heritage. Toulouse is called the "pink city" because of the abundance of Romanesque brick buildings that give the city a purple hue. It is a lively city of students, a center of advanced European technologies and the aviation industry. Also known as the city of rugby and violets.

Cordes-sur-Ciel. Favorite village of French people

Cordes-sur-Ciel enchants and charms everyone who visits it. Even from afar, since it is like a mirage from the very beginning: a city disappearing into the sky.  You can walk for hours here, forgetting about time, since time seems to have frozen in this city. Some storefront windows haven't been replaced in at least 50 years, if not more. Artists' workshops and studios are located next to these remnants from past ages. There are also restaurants and pleasant hotels, as well as bookstores and gift shops providing high-quality goods. The cord is stunning at any time of year. You won't find such solitude anyplace else.

Giroussens 

Giroussens is a little village known for its lead-glazed pottery as well as the beautiful Jardins des Martels. Giroussens is located 40 kilometers north of Toulouse in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of Tarn. While you are most likely visiting Giroussens for the Centre Céramique de Giroussens or the Jardins des Martels, the village itself is beautiful and worth a visit. A lookout on the outskirts of the village offers breathtaking views of the river and valley below.

Interesting fact about Gailliac wine region

Pigeon towers can be found all around France, although they're especially common in the southwest. Pigeon towers were built because the Counts of Toulouse, and later the King of France, ruled that pigeon excrement, not cow manure, should be used to fertilize the land when making Gaillac wines. Since bird fertilizer leaves no scents or an acidic taste in the soil, it was the most effective technique to fertilize. This is why pigeon towers sprung up all over the countryside, so people could collect bird droppings and utilize them on their property.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Gailliac