Eastern France is home to several fascinating wine regions climbing Alpine foothills and nestled in picturesque valleys in the heart of the mountains. Defined by their geographic isolation and cool climates, they have by and large preserved their traditions and indigenous grape varieties. It is no surprise, then, that Savoie, the Bugey, and the Hautes-Alpes are turning out striking wines that beautifully reflect the extreme terrain from which they are born.

Fifteen or twenty years ago, there was little buzz about the wines of Savoie, the Alpine region hugging the Swiss and Italian borders. In fact, most wines from Savoie were some combination of overcropped, thin, searingly acidic, and painfully rustic; even the best examples rarely made it out of the local mountain resorts, where they were served as an après-ski to wash down many a melty croque-monsieur.

But all that has changed, and today Savoie produces a number of top-quality wines in all styles, from simple thirst-quenchers to wines of substantial gravity. Kermit sought out some of these wines early in his career, having imported the spritzy, mineral whites of Apremont and Chignin in the late 1970s.

With vineyards at the foot of the Alps that sometimes reach higher elevations, Savoie is defined by its mountain-influenced climate and extremely rocky terrain, with abundant limestone. Thanks to a diversity of indigenous grape varieties, quality-oriented growers with the choicest parcels—steep and well-exposed—can craft anything from crisp, low-alcohol whites from Jacquère to deep, gamey reds from Mondeuse. More serious and age-worthy whites are made from Altesse as well as Bergeron, the local name for Roussanne, which the Romans planted on the slopes of Chignin around the same time as they introduced it to the Rhône Valley.

Savoie’s diversity of styles and distinct sub-regions, from Chignin to Arbin to Seyssel, makes it a captivating region for the thirsty explorer. There is no better place to look for brisk mountain refreshment.

The Bugey is a distinct region located in the Ain département, just west of Savoie and south of the Jura. Its vineyards sit on steep limestone foothills, a striking setting where small family domaines craft delightfully bright, fresh wines that largely fly under the radar. The Bugey is home to a diversity of grapes and styles—white, red, rosé, and sparkling—including the unique semi-sweet sparklers from the cru Cerdon, which blend Gamay and Poulsard for what is surely France's most seductive rosé.

South of Savoie, between the Alpine city of Gap and the French-Italian border, lies the tiny Hautes-Alpes region. Reaching up to 1,000 meters above sea level, its small vineyard plots flank the Durance River as it descends from high in the Alps. The chilly Alpine climate features some dry, warming Mediterranean influence, and numerous grape varieties are permitted within the region's sole IGP zone, including the native Mollard. This is heroic viticulture at its most awe-inspiring.