FOODIES, CONNOISSERS, PLEASURE SEEKERS – YOU WILL CERTAINLY FEEL AT HOME HERE!
Meet our winegrowers and farmers. Make the most of our local markets, fine-food restaurants and more traditional establishments. Awaken your taste buds with Seyssel (AOC) and Frangy (AOC Vins de Savoie) wines, PGI Tomme de Savoie cheese, PGI Savoie apples and pears, Comté Pyrimont cheese, locally-produced honey, artisanal chocolate and a whole variety of other local delights.
SEYSSEL VINEYARD: A TERROIR… A WINE… AND THE MOST ANCIENT AOC IN THE VINS DE SAVOIE WINEGROWING AREA (1942).
On both banks of the Rhône, between 200 and 400 metres above sea level, the rolling Seyssel vineyard straddles the border between the departments of Ain and Haute-Savoie.
The first written evidence of the presence of vines in the area dates back to the 10th century but it was the Arvières monks who, in the 14th century, began to nurture this vineyard which reached its peak in the 19th century.
The designation area includes the villages of Corbonod, Seyssel Ain and Seyssel Haute-Savoie, but most of the vineyard is located in Corbonod.
Two uncommon grape varieties which are specific to this terroir – Altesse “Roussette” and Molette – are used to make the wines of the “Vins de Seyssel” AOC. Seyssel wines are the perfect match for other local Pays de Savoie products, including cheeses such as reblochon, beaufort, tomme and comté Pyrimont.
FRANGY VINEYARD
The vineyard of Frangy stretches across both sides of the Usses valley at the foot of the Vuache mountains. This undulating terroir enjoys a mild, sunny climate. It is crossed by the Fornant stream and the Usses river. The land of moraine formations contains stones rather than clay.
This vineyard is mentioned in the charter of Cluny Abbey and is thought to date back to the 11th century. Much later, in 1614, Saint Francis de Sales, to whom it is said the canons offered a barrel of a Desingy vintage, celebrated the quality of this wine. The Swiss were very fond of this wine which led to the development of prosperous trade across the border.
However, following a campaign against alcohol consumption launched by Swiss doctors in 1756, the winegrowers gradually lost their customers and began turning to other agricultural activities, including dairy farming. Today the vineyard is undergoing a significant transformation. The Roussette de Savoie cru Frangy AOC was created in 1973.
