It is always fun to take the road less traveled.

This applies to wine as well.

Jordan Mackay did just that in his Juice column Entering French Basque Country Some obscure appellations to seek out (Chow, October 15).

We get an education on Madiran as well as Pacherenc du Vic Bilh which we learn "adjacent to Madiran and produces white wines that must be 60 percent composed of the varieties Courbu and Petit Manseng. They’re usually semisweet or sweet, but Pacherenc du Vic Bilh Sec, or dry, can be very refreshing, with strong and alluring aromas of white flowers, vegetation, pears, and citrus rind."

AF Touch Cuisine adds that in local language Béarnais "Pacherenc means "stakes in row" and from the language of Oc, Vic-Bilh is equivalent to" old country".

Besides Courbu and Petit Manseng, two other varietals can be found in the area, Arrufiac and Large Manseng.

Petit Manseng is actually Now found in Georgia (the state, not the country) at Tiger Mountain Vineyards.

Wine for thought

Related: Jewel in the Crown of Southwest France? Domaine du Moulie Madiran