Haute-Vienne is the IGP title for red, white and rosé wines from the administrative department of the same name in central France. Located in the northwestern foothills of the Massif Central mountain range, the topography here is not particularly well suited to viticulture, and there are no AOC-level appellations here. Instead, the Haute-Vienne IGP exists to give growers a geographical indicator for their wines that extends beyond simply Vin de France.
Haute-Vienne lies northwest of the famous vineyards of Bordeaux, and throughout the long history of viticulture here (which reaches as far back as the Middle Ages), Haute-Vienne wines have been overshadowed by the wines of the left and right banks of the Gironde. Nevertheless, vineyards have endured here, especially prior to the phylloxera crisis of the 1880s.
© Wikimedia/Michael Stuckey
Small vineyards can be found in the department today, mostly in lower-lying areas west of Limoges on the banks of the Vienne river. Vines are planted on south-facing hills where they receive ample sunlight during the growing season. Haute-Vienne has a continental climate with some oceanic influence, mostly in the form of rainfall from the Atlantic ocean.
While this rainfall is distributed evenly throughout the year, it is higher than the national French average, and so vineyards must be planted in areas where there is good natural drainage. Sandy granite and gneiss soils with low clay-content provide the best sites for viticulture in the department, as they are well drained, making for healthier vines and more-concentrated grapes.
Most Haute-Vienne IGP wines are made from the Gamay grape variety, which thrives on the acidic granite soils, as it does in its spiritual home, Beaujolais. Red wines are light and fruity with supple tannins. Rosés that are made in the department tend to have some Pinot Noir in them, and the few white wines produced under the IGP are made from Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.
The department was previously covered by the Vin de Pays de la Haute-Vienne denomination, although a phasing out of this category has meant that the wines are now known as Indication Géographique Protégée, or IGP. The IGP classification is closer to the PGI classification of the European Union, and French wine authorities hope that it will improve the consumer image of regional French wines.
