Cahors Wine

The dark, tannic Malbec wine produced around Cahors is one of the great underappreciated wines of France. Known locally as the "black wine" for its almost opaque colour, it is made primarily from Malbec (called Côt or Auxerrois here), grown on the limestone causses and the alluvial terraces of the Lot valley. The wine has been produced here continuously since Roman times and was the preferred wine of Pope John XXII, a Cahors native.

The best way to taste it is to visit one of the local producers — many welcome walk-in visitors during harvest season (September-October) and by appointment year-round. The tourist office in town keeps an updated list. In Cahors itself, most restaurants offer a good selection of local Malbec by the glass; pairing it with duck confit or a cassoulet from the region is the obvious choice.

things to do sight
A story
Cahors Malbec is one of the oldest wine appellations in France — Romans planted vines in the Lot valley, and by the Middle Ages Cahors wine was being exported to England in vast quantities. When Malbec became the dominant grape of Argentina in the 19th century, it was the Cahors clone that was transplanted there. The Argentine version became famous; the French original remained a local treasure known mainly to enthusiasts.