Appellation for white wine in the south-west region of France, which is identical in area to the Madiran appellation (red wine). In the past, white wine and red wine were produced under the joint AOC designation Vic-Bilh. The Gascon dialect name is derived from the vine training "Piquets-en-rangs" (single-pole training), where the vines are trained on high stakes. Vic-Bilh" (Vieux Pays = Old Country) refers to the local hills. The name therefore means "stakes in a row from the Vic-Bilh hills".
The vineyards cover around 300 hectares in the departments of Gers (3 communes), Pyrénées-Atlantiques (28) and Hautes-Pyrénées (6). The vineyards are located on gentle hills with limestone and clay soils. The climate is oceanic, with hot summers, dry, sunny autumns and relatively mild winters.
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