Sweet white wine is an acquired taste for many but according to respected wine critic Robert Parker, the Jurançon’s sweet wines are among the country’s rarest and finest, while remaining moderately priced. Parker names two particular growers, Domaine Cauhaupé and Cru Lamouroux, as offering the pinnacle of excellence. The wines can be drunk as an aperitif or to accompany the likes of foie gras or fruit puddings, the criteria always being that they should be sweeter than the sweet.

Parker is equally complimentary about the dry whites of the Jurançon, which he believes offer the greatest value for money in France, high praise indeed. Of 60-odd producers in the region, Bellevue is named as a particular grower to look out for if you prefer dry white Jurançon wine.

Such a rising reputation makes it easy for the producers to sustain the Fêtes des Vendanges, which begin early in September and continue until mid-December each year. Art exhibitions, concerts, dinners and drama productions ensure that this is much more than a wine tasting occasion.