LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON – Surprising wine finds in the South of France

The huge southern French area known simply as ‘Le Midi’ stretches around the Mediterranean from west of the Rhône delta to the Spanish border just south of Perpignan. The eastern part is the Languedoc region (the name coming from the French for the ‘language of the Oc’ a particular local dialect), and the western area is called Roussillon, giving its name to the red wines of Côtes du Roussillon. From the mid-1800s after the railways were built right up until the 1970s, this huge region produced vast amounts of wine that was transported all over France and beyond as simple ‘Vin de Table’ of all colours, though reds dominated. The easy, warm Mediterranean climate meant that, by planting highly productive grape varieties on the fertile plains rather than the hillsides, it was much easier and cheaper than elsewhere to produce quantities of ordinary quality wine year in year out. It’s easy to see how this area built its reputation on quantity rather than quality, a reputation that in the past 20 years or so it has been fighting hard to shake off.

Today, serious wine producers abound in this region – producers who have planted vineyards away from fertile plains in the tougher hillsides with more suitable quality grape varieties, aiming for lower quantity and better quality. They are keen to welcome visitors to admire their wine estates and taste the increasingly good wines, often at a much better price than from more famous French wine regions.

Whereas many foreign visitors to France might have visited Provence, to the east of the Rhône Valley, the Languedoc is less explored and well worth discovering. Generally, it’s best to keep inland from the coast (with a few seaside villages of notable exceptions like Collioure near Perpignan). You will find a stunning landscape of farmland, scrubland and little villages, leading up through vineyards on the foothills to the southern ranges of the rugged Massif Central mountains. You’ll also discover towns steeped in history – ranging from Roman relics over towards Montpellier to Cathar strongholds in the other direction towards Carcassonne. There’s simply masses to explore.

To give you a flavour of what the wine traveller might expect, below are some excerpts from our six micro-region guides to the Languedoc-Roussillon which are written by Richard James (www.winewriting.com). Richard is an English wine writer who has lived in a village near Perpignan for several years, and was previously based near Montpellier.

“Around Montpellier: Montpellier is by far the most happening place in the sprawling Languedoc region and certainly the wine capital of the south. The city is the focal point of wine academia, research and a new technology mini-boom. It’s also a very attractive base and launch-pad for visiting several exciting wine areas in all directions, with a good choice of restaurants, hotels, wine bars and shops. Overall this region offers a wide variety of wine styles from everyday rosés to serious reds for ageing. A selection of different Languedoc wines would effortlessly match every flavour and dish on even the most eclectic menu. Similarly, when exploring where they’re made, the contrasting terrain quickly changes from foaming Mediterranean through gentle hillsides to brooding mountains.

Around Narbonne: The Corbières is a vast area of outstanding beauty, as well as being the name of the mini-mountain range that characterises much of this micro-region. It extends from the outskirts of Narbonne, almost to Carcassonne and down to the ‘border’ between the Aude and Pyrénées Orientales departments (where the Côtes du Roussillon Villages AC starts), marked by green hills and ragged rock faces, wild scrubland and diverse flora and fauna (watch out for wild boar!). The focus here has increasingly been on producing less volume, and the Corbières is now buzzing with some of the finest estates in the south.

South and East of Perpignan: Each time you drive along the spectacular coastal road between Collioure and Banyuls-sur-Mer, or peer out of the dusty windows of the local train, you will marvel afresh at the impossibly sloped vineyards above you. How can vines grow and be looked after up there, balancing so precariously on rocky schist terraces, without falling into the sea? With the colourful Albères hills along the Spanish border as an ominous backdrop, this south-eastern chunk of the Roussillon is known as the Côte Vermeille (vermilion coast). This beautiful terrain shapes some of the best and priciest wines in the south - structured, yet rich, perfumed reds (Collioure AC or Vins de Pays) and sometimes extraordinary sweet, yet tannic Banyuls Vins Doux Naturels – fortified reds crafted from Grenache.”

As a dedicated wine writer, Richard has, needless to say, unearthed some superb wine producers to visit and for many he painstakingly reproduces his copious tasting notes on his own website (www.winewriting.com). However, since starting to write for Wine Travel Guides, he’s developed a healthy interest in finding interesting places to stay, eat and shop. Here’s his tempting description of Château d’Agel (www.chateaudagel.fr) located near the Cathar town of Minerve, which appears in our ‘Around Béziers’ guide under ‘Places to Stay’: “The undisturbed village of Agel is a short drive from the amazing mediaeval town of Minerve and a variety of wine estates in nearby La Livinière AC. This magnificent château really is the full works with turret windows, coats of arms, twirling stones staircases and probably cobwebby secret passages too.”

Richard has also tested out some stunning drives (including one from near his home over the Pyrenees into Spain) and walks too. In his travels close to his home, he has discovered Château de Caladroy (www.caladroy.com), which we included in our ‘Wine Attractions’ section: “Bélesta is a beautiful village lost in time. The castle was originally built in the 12th century to defend the border between France and Catalonia/Aragon. Restored and rebuilt over the years, it reflects a mixture of architectural styles depending on who was paying. Saint Barthélémy de Caladroer's chapel dates from the same era: Serge and Jean Philippe Maurin-Agen, the owners of the winery, had the bright idea of turning it into a discreet tasting cellar. You can also buy the estate's grape juice jam and olive oil here. As for the wines, overall an impressive range from this recently revitalised property.”

If you plan a trip to the South of France, support the huge efforts of the vignerons in the Languedoc-Roussillon region by including some visits to wine estates and choosing local wines with meals at some great restaurants in the heart of the vineyards. Our six micro-region guides to Languedoc Roussillon written by Richard James enable you to plan your wine tour around the local city of your choice – Montpellier, Béziers, Narbonne, Carcassonne or Perpignan (divided into two). Do take a look and use the Wandering Educators promotion discount code when you subscribe.

Wink Lorch is the Wine Editor for Wandering Educators