All About Gascony

Long reads on the history, food, wine and landscape of our extraordinary region

Gascony is one of the least-visited corners of France, and one of the most rewarding. We've been exploring and writing about it since we arrived. These are our longer essays — on the spirits, the history, the food, and the culture of the place we call home.

Country road through the Gers
Planning Your Trip South-West France Gascony

The Gers vs the Dordogne: Which Corner of South-West France is Right for You?

Every spring we get the same email: "we're looking at the Dordogne, but we've just found you — how do you compare?" Our honest answer, expanded. What the Dordogne does brilliantly, what forty years of being famous has done to it, and what the Gers offers that, quietly, it can't.

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Armagnac country road
Gourmet Armagnac Local Producers

Armagnac vs Cognac: What's the Difference, and Why Gascony's Brandy Deserves Your Full Attention

Every autumn, as the Armagnac stills are lit across the Gers, our guests ask the same question: what is Armagnac, and how is it different from Cognac? Our full answer — the distillation process, the three subregions, the vintage culture, and how to taste it properly.

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Eauze market
Activities Itinerary Medieval Villages

A Weekend in Gascony: The Perfect 5-Day Itinerary from Séailles

Our honest five-day answer to "where should we go?" — markets and Roman ruins, botanical gardens and medieval cloisters, Madiran wine estates, a Cistercian abbey with a Picasso upstairs, and the most pleasant riverside lunch in the Gers.

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La Romieu cloisters
History Gascony The Gers

Novempopulania, Gascony, the Gers: The Many Names of Our Region

Are you in Gascony? The Gers? Armagnac country? The answer is all of them — each name a different layer of the same extraordinary history, laid down by Romans, Visigoths, Basque tribes, English kings and French revolutionaries.

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Beautiful villages of the Gers

The Most Beautiful Villages in the Gers

Our insider guide to Larressingle, Fourcès, La Romieu, Lavardens, Eauze and more — the hidden gems of Gascony within easy reach of Séailles.

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