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CommentsWines of the Week: Languedoc – Roussillon
This French wine area is important for two main reasons:
• A very ancient wine region – The first vines were planted in the 7th Century bc by the Greeks.
• The first producer of wine in France - 3 times as much as Australia.
It is a land of hard working farmers where conflicts with the government related to the wine regulation are often deadly. In fact this is not one, but two distinct regions: Languedoc and Roussillon.
Languedoc
Despite its quantitative importance, they only produce 10% of France’s Appellation Controlled wines, the rest is Table Wine. It represents today France’s best value area. Their most promising wines are whites.
The great majority of the Languedoc’s vines are planted on flat, low-lying alluvial plain. The climate is Mediterranean. The red varietals are Carignan, Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre. The white varietals are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Marsanne, and Roussanne.
The winery equipment and techniques are still relatively unsophisticated, since selling prices of wines have not been high enough to justify investments. The great majority of the wines are made in co-operatives cellars.
Roussillon
This region is a must to visit. It is a land where the Pyrenees Mountains fall into the Mediterranean Sea. Vineyards can be so steep that it is not unusual that the farmers have to tight a rope around their waist when they work in the vineyards not to fall. The village of Collioure is one of the prettiest French villages. Hiking there is wonderful. I strongly encourage you to visit this region which is only 2 hours drive North of Barcelona. The inhabitants are Catalans and share the same distinct language as their brothers from Spain. Vines and olives are really the two agricultural crops that can survive in these arid conditions.
Until recently this region was producing heavy and mediocre wines for the domestic market. Recently the trend is towards quality much more than quantity. The yields were reduced, investments have been made. Now this region has won the name of “French California”. The comparison is good for two reasons: The appellation criteria are more flexible than in other regions such as Bordeaux for example. Wine makers have a much larger latitude to blend. The second reason is that the wines have a more modern style: Easier to drink – a lot of fruit and meant to be drunk young.
The dominant varieties of the area are for the reds: Carignan, Muscat, and Grenache.
The Wines:
 | Cailloux 2005 - $15.00 |
 | Serre-Longue 2002 - $20.50 |
 | Hypogee 2002 - $31.50 |
Looking for other wines? Visit: http://aocfinewines.com
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