Savoie may be one of France’s smaller and lesser-known regions, but it is big on personality. One producer whose knowledge of the region runs deep is Jean Perrier, who started growing grapes in 1853. In a pioneering move for the region, Jean Victor Perrier was the first in Savoie to bottle his own wine in 1947.
Today, Jean Perrier is operated by brothers Philippe, Christophe and Gilles, who took over in the 1980s from their father, Gilbert Perrier. The Perrier brothers farm their vineyards organically, even though they aren’t certified, and harvest by hand.
With a focus on indigenous grapes, their vineyards are planted to Jacquere, Altesse and Mondeuse, among others. Gilles Perrier says, “The passion and dedication to our indigenous grape varieties show in the hard work all done by hand due to the sheer steepness of the parcels and the final quality of our wines. The grapes of Savoie are largely unknown outside the region, many of them cannot be found anywhere else. The altitude creates stunning, fresh and idiosyncratic styles – a must for any wine list.”
