Gers

Gers is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. The culture is largely agricultural, with great emphasis on the local gastronomical specialities such as the foie gras, wild mushrooms and quality wines. Gers was created from parts of the former provinces of Guyenne and Gascony.  Located in south western France, Gers is part of the Midi-Pyrénées region.

With its wide rolling valleys and pretty little hill top villages of honey coloured houses, some of them built of colombages (wattle and daub), Gers is an agricultural land of plenty. The landscape is of fields of sunflowers, wheat and maize, set against the striking backdrop of the snow capped Pyrenees. Well supplied with lakes and rivers for pleasure boating, fishing and waterskiing, the departments is also blessed with being within an easy drive of either the sandy beaches of the Atlantic coast or the ski resorts of the Pyrenees. The River Baise is navigable from Valence sur Baise to Condom and it is now possible to joint the Canal of the Garonne.

Auch, capital of the Gers is known for its rich local cuisine and the beautiful gothic cathedral of Sainte Marie dating from 1489 with its carved choir and beautiful stained glass windows. Surveying the general scene in the main square is a statue of the penniless nobleman, Charles de Batz, complete with plumed hat and rapier, on whom Dumas modeled his character of D’Artagnan in the three musketeers. It is no surprise, with the influence of the Musketeers, that one of the local aperitifs is named ‘Pousse rapière’, (literally the push of the rapier). A liqueur based on orange Armagnac, it is served topped up with chilled sparkling white wine and is quite powerful!

The vineyards in the Gers include AOC Madiran, originally used as an altar wine, a full bodied red wine and an ideal accompaniment to duck, game, red meats and cheese.

The traditional sheep cheeses of the Midi-Pyrenees, to enjoy with Madiran and Pacherenc wines, are Roquefort, Laguiole, Blue of Causses, Rocamadour and Tomme.