We love this little factoid about Picpoul – it means “lip stinger / lip smacker” in an ancient French dialect. And this very old grape, thought to be first planted in the area back in the1610s, does just that. Wonderfully dry and refreshing and the perfect southern French white wine aperitif. Also, curiously, Picpoul is one of the 13 allotted varieties which is used in the production of Chateauneuf-du-Pape although only a couple of wineries actually use it (We are at a loss as to what 1% would bring to the blend but hey-ho).