THE
LANGUEDOC
Background
The Languedoc-Roussillon is a staggeringly beautiful part
of France, with the snow-capped mountains of the Pyrenees
providing a dramatic backdrop to rolling vineyards and
charming medieval villages. It is a large region which
extends along the sandy beaches of the Mediterranean coast
from the Spanish border to the Camargue and inland to the
foothills of the Pyrenees and the Massif Central.
Vines
everywhere
It is also the biggest wine region in the world with
vineyards as far as the eye can see, stretching along the
plains near the coast and up on to the ruggedly steep
slopes inland where wild herbs grow amongst the vines. The
vine thrives in the warm Mediterranean sun and grows on a
variety of soils resulting in a varied terroir or growing environment for
the vine.
In such a perfect
climate, just about every grape variety you can think of
flourishes. The main red grapes are Carignan, Syrah,
Grenache, Mourvedre and Cinsault while for white wine
Chardonnay, Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul, Muscat,
Sauvignon Blanc and Clairette are most widely planted.
Diversity
of wine styles
This huge range of terroir and vine varieties, creates a
wonderful diversity of wine styles. Limoux is justly famous
for its elegant sparkling wines and cool-climate
Chardonnay. The coastal vineyards near Pinet produce
refreshing, mouth-tingling Picpoul de Pinet which goes
perfectly with oysters from nearby Bouzigues. There is a
good choice of fresh, zingy whites from single grape
varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Chardonnay
as well as richer, more complex whites which demand food.
The majority of Languedoc wine is red and it comes in all
guises. From muscular, spicy reds from the Corbières and
Fitou to more refined, syrah-based wines from Minervois la
Liviniere with their seductive aromas of olives, black
pepper and dark fruit. The sprawling Coteaux du Languedoc
region produces both fruity, easy drinking reds as well as
brooding, savoury, oak-aged wines which linger long in the
mouth. Pic St Loup, Montpeyroux and La Clape are named
‘crus’ in the Coteaux du Languedoc appellation and are
centres of excellence for red wines.
Pretty pink, raspberry-scented rosés are produced just
about everywhere and are perfect for slaking the thirst on
a hot summer’s day. For lovers of dessert wine there are
the heady, scented muscats of St Jean de Minervois and
Frontignan as well as decadently sweet red wines from Maury
and Banyuls. Divine with chocolate!
For more
information about Languedoc wines see
www.languedoc-wines.com
Revolution
in wine
Over the last 25 years there has been a revolution in the
Languedoc wine industry. Innovative producers
have realized the
potential of the region and are making truly excellent
wines, many of which are still undiscovered and are
excellent value. Mas de Daumas Gassac
was the first to
prove that the Languedoc could make top-quality,
ageworthy wines to rival top Bordeaux and many others
have followed. Domaine Aupilhac,
Prieuré de St Jean de
Bebian,
La Grange des Peres,
Mas Jullien and Domaine Alain Chabanon
to name but a
few.
Cuisine
Languedoc cuisine has similar roots to those of its
neighbour Provence. The influence is strongly Mediterranean
with basic ingredients being olive oil, olives, garlic,
tomatoes, onions and aromatic herbs which grow wild in the
garrigue.
Seafood features
heavily and oysters from Bouzigues and Leucate are
particularly good. ‘Moules frites’ (mussels and chips) is
on almost every bistro menu and the town of Sete, south of
Montpellier makes a tasty fish stew known as bourride.
Anchovies from the pretty coastal village of Collioure are
delicious and can be enjoyed on their own or in
pissadelière which is basically an anchovy pizza.
There are fresh vegetables and fruit in abundance in the
Languedoc. In Springtime asparagus is for sale everywhere
and in summer one can gorge on delicious fresh fruit -
cherries, melons, peaches, nectarines and apricots.
Tomatoes are particularly flavoursome and very cheap in
season. In winter local clementines and kiwi fruit are good
and in Autumn wild mushrooms, including ceps, can be found
in the forests on the slopes of the Cevennes mountains.
Like all of France, meals are often very meat orientated.
Cassoulet from Castelnaudry is a deliciously hearty
speciality made with beans and pork, duck, sausage and
sometimes goose. Wild boar casseroles are good winter fare
and during the winter there are plenty of markets
specializing in foie gras.
There are a few good goats cheese made here but with such
an expanse of vineyard there is not much room for grazing
cattle so the region is not known for its cheese. Every
village has an apiculteur making excellent local honey.
When to
visit
With over 300 days of sunshine a year, there is no bad time
to visit the Languedoc! April to June can be glorious -
sunny but not too hot and walking in the vineyards is a
joy. Summers are hot with a few days over 40°C and July and
August is peak tourist season and so can be crowded,
particularly by the beach. That said, there is lots going
on and if you head to the hills it is cooler and not nearly
so touristy. The weather begins to cool down from
mid-August and from now until early October is harvest time
so there is lots to see. The weather is often very sunny
but during the Autumn there is also likely to be some
periods of heavy rain. Winters are quiet and some of the
tourist attractions and restaurants are closed. Although it
can be cold there are often beautiful sunny days in Winter
that make a glorious change from the leaden skies of
northern Europe. Wine producers are happy to take time out
from pruning to taste wines with visitors. Just bring your
thermal underwear as wine cellars are chilly places.
What to
do (apart from winetasting)
There is plenty to occupy visitors to the region. The Roman
towns of Narbonne, Perpignan and Nimes are a delight to
visit while the fairy-tale castle of Carcassonne is an
obligatory stop. Montpellier is a vibrant university town
with great shopping and restaurants while Pezenas is more
sedate with beautiful architecture and a great market on
Saturday.
Also worth visiting are the Cathar castles of Queribus,
Peypertuse and Montsegur which are dramatically situtated
on craggy hilltops and bear witness to the region’s bloody
history.
There are no shortage of
beautiful villages in the Languedoc - Minerve, Aragon,
Lagrasse, St Guilhem le Desert are a few of the best
known. Just take a short drive into the countryside
and enjoy exploring quiet villages, watching a boules
match in the local bouledrome, drinking pastis in the
local bar.
Perhaps the most relaxing
way to enjoy the Languedoc is on a luxury barge,
cruising lazily along the tree-lined Canal du Midi
which meanders through the region. And, of course,
there is the beach.
For more details on what to do in the Languedoc, see
Crème de Languedoc
The Languedoc
| Home | About Us | About the Languedoc | Wine Tours Menu | Enquiry Form | Sitemap | Privacy Policy | Contact Us |