‘Technically, we’re in Normandy, but geologically, we’re already in Brittany’, says Sébastien Pascot of Domaine de Romilly, gesturing toward some hills to the north. We’re having lunch on the beach in Genêts, Mont-St-Michel’s towering silhouette just visible across the tidal bay. Brittany’s ancient crystalline bedrock – granite and schist from the Armorican Massif, formed some 300 million years ago – is fundamentally different from Normandy’s younger...
The map is not the terroir – on Brittany
Guest contributor
Wednesday 4 February 2026
• 1 min read
A continuation of Chris Howard’s two-part exploration of the newly revived wine regions of north-west France. Above, an aerial view of Vignoble Roc’h-Mer, courtesy of winemaker Lucas Pfister. See also Normandy as a wine region.
Become a member to continue reading
Member
$135
/year
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
- Access 289,183 wine reviews & 15,897 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
Inner Circle
$249
/year
Ideal for collectors
- Access 289,183 wine reviews & 15,897 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
- Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
- Access 289,183 wine reviews & 15,897 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
- Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
- Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade
- Access 289,183 wine reviews & 15,897 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
- Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
- Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
More Inside information
Inside information
For this month’s adventures Ben heads north to Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
We’d arrived in a country whose Nordic angles...
Inside information
Part five of an eight-part series on how to pair wine with Asian flavours, adapted from Richard’s book. Click here...
Inside information
Once on the fringes, Corsica has emerged as one of France’s most compelling wine regions. Paris-based writer Yasha Lysenko explores...
Inside information
Turning tides have brought wine back to the edges of north-west France, says Paris-based journalist Chris Howard. This is part...
More from JancisRobinson.com
Free for all
Jancis revels in the glorious 2025 Loire vintage, and her tasting of dry whites identifies some excellent 2024s, too. A...
Free for all
Also, Concha y Toro set to purchase Provence estate Mirabeau (shown above); an update on Facebook’s recent recommendation bans and...
Tasting articles
From crisp, mineral Muscadet to racy Chardonnay, Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc, plus some Grolleau Gris and reds from Gamay and...
Wines of the week
Exemplary New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from the Wairau Valley, pictured above. From $17.99, £23.94. It was not my intent to...
Mission Blind Tasting
Learn to taste – and think – like a wine pro. Whether you’re studying for a wine exam or just...
Tasting articles
From light, delicate Prosecco to cult wine from Bordeaux and red Zinfandel, there’s something for everyone in these 25 wines...
Don't quote me
January is always a heavy month for professional wine tastings. This year Jancis fortified herself beforehand. 2026 got off to...
Nick on restaurants
Nick denies an accusation frequently levelled at restaurant critics. And revisits an old favourite. Those of us who write about...