Floc de Gascogne

Floc de Gascogne is a Gascon vin de liqueur — a mistelle in which fresh, unfermented grape must is fortified with young Armagnac and briefly aged. Because the grape spirit is added before fermentation can take hold, the sugar of the ripe grapes is preserved rather than turned to alcohol, so the drink stays sweet, grapey and fruity while sitting at roughly 16 to 18 percent alcohol. Made in a pale-gold white style and a pink rosé style, both from the vineyards of the Armagnac country in south-west France, it is served well chilled as an aperitif — its name comes from the Gascon word floc, meaning a "bouquet" or tuft of flowers. Fresh, soft and grape-sweet with a gentle warmth of Armagnac beneath the fruit, it is the regional companion to foie gras, melon and Gascon charcuterie, and carries the Floc de Gascogne AOC.