South West France, recognized region within france which incorporates all of the wine districts in the south western quarter of the country with the exception of bordeaux and Cognac. This means in effect all of the upriver wines once regarded as serious commercial rivals by the Bordelais (most notably Bergerac, Monbazillac, Côtes de Duras, Cahors, Buzet, Fronton, and Gaillac travelling away from and roughly clockwise round Bordeaux), together with those made in gascony and basque country (St-Mont, Madiran, Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh, Jurançon, Béarn, and Irouléguy). Few generalizations can be made about such an extensive area, except that the climate is heavily influenced by the Atlantic.
