A vineyard in Gigondas, in France’s southern Rhône region.John Nielsen/Getty Images/iStockphoto
The question
Help me settle a dispute. What's the correct pronunciation of "Gigondas?"
The answer
Drum roll, please.… You do pronounce the "s" at the end. I assume that's specifically what you were wondering about. (The initial "Gi" part, for which I can't find an accurate phonetic equivalent, is in any case articulated much like in the names Gigi or Gilles.)
You can find the proper pronunciation demonstrated in this short clip. Gigondas is – for those who need tutoring in one of France's most undervalued cellar-worthy reds – an appellation in the southern Rhône, not far from the more famous appellation of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. As with Châteauneuf, the wines are usually predominantly based on grenache, with syrah and/or mourvèdre playing the main supporting role.
Your high-school French teacher, unless he or she is a wine geek or has travelled through the southern Rhône, may disagree. On the surface of it, the "s" might seem to be silent according to standard French pronunciation rules. But in this case, local custom evolved differently. Not pronouncing the "s" would be like pronouncing the Notre Dame college football team the way an unsuspecting French tourist might. For the record, it's "No-tur Day-m."
Besides Gigondas, the same holds true of another neighbouring appellation, Vacqueyras. But, inexplicably, you don't pronounce the "s" in nearby Carpentras.
Want to experience the Rhône like an insider? Beppi Crosariol is co-hosting a luxury two-week journey through Burgundy, Beaujolais and the Rhône Valley next August along with other Globe journalists as part of The Globe and Mail French River Cruise. For details, visit tgam.ca/cruise.
E-mail your wine and spirits questions to Beppi Crosariol. Look for answers to select questions to appear in the Wine & Spirits newsletter and on The Globe and Mail website.