St-Nicolas de Véroce, France
WHERE TO FIND IT Hunkered down at the base of the Mont Blanc massif, just above the historic spa town of St- Gervais-les- Bains HOW TO GET THERE Fly to Geneva, then St- Nicolas de Véroce is an hour’s drive
The resort
Unless you happen to be an expert on Alpine Baroque churches, chances are you won’t have heard of St-Nicolas de Véroce. However, the sleepy hamlet’s fortunes are set to change with the launch of the unassuming yet deeply luxurious Armancette hotel. The five-star, 17-bedroom property packs serious foodie credentials, with restaurant menus by three-star Michelin chef Antoine Westermann and a 4,000-bottle wine cellar bristling with local Savoie beauties.
Life in St-Nicolas has changed little over the centuries, with mornings easing into action to the sound of cows lowing and church bells pealing, and the scent of freshly baked pastries from the bakery. The Armancette’s owners might have renovated this centuries-old bakery, yet locals still come here for baguettes and gossip.
Despite its sense of blissful isolation, St-Nicolas offers direct access to small but beginner-perfect local ski slopes, as well as access to 445km of pistes spanning six other resorts under the Evasion Mont Blanc lift pass, including big names such as Les Contamines-Montjoie and Megève. www.armancette.com
The wines
A wine region that has been attracting more (and well-deserved) attention, Savoie offers wines with an appealing freshness and lightness. Its dispersed vineyards tend to be grouped around lakes (Geneva, Bourget) and foothills of mountains for protection from the elements. It also hosts a number of indigenous varieties, as well as a few found in other areas of France and beyond. About 70% of plantings are white, perfect for a glass après-ski.
Jacquère is the crisp, refreshing and lightly scented white variety that flourishes throughout much of the region. It can be found as Vin de
Savoie or often as specific crus, such as Abymes, Apremont and Chignin. The more perfumed Altesse, known under the Roussette de Savoie AP, can evoke Viognier but with more lift, while the fuller-bodied Roussanne (known locally as Bergeron) is labelled Chignin-Bergeron. For reds, the charmingly rustic and peppery Mondeuse Noire is worth discovering.
Keen to try a Prosecco alternative? Bugey-Cerdon, a gently off-dry (and off-piste) Gamay-based sparkling rosé is the answer. From an area that lies between Savoie and Beaujolais, it makes a delicious aperitif or accompaniment to saucisson.