Languedoc-Roussillon

Languedoc-Roussillon wine, including the vin de pays labelled Vin de Pays d’Oc, is produced in southern France. The area, which covers the Mediterranean coastline from the French border with Spain to the region of Provence, is responsible for around a third of France’s total wine production. Pretty astonishing!

I always think of it as the New World of the Old World, or something that fits nicely in between both. The hotter climate has a lot to do with it, but the restrictions are also much less stringent than in some of the famous appellations within the likes of Bordeaux and Burgundy.

Appellations do exist within Languedoc-Roussillon. Corbières AOC and Minervois AOC are two examples, but the introduction of the vins de pays, such as Vin de pays d’Oc and Vin de pays d’Aude, has handed winemakers somewhat of a free reign. As a result, we are seeing extraordinarily varied and different styles of French wine being produced, and much of it is really good value for money.

Thanks to the grape-friendly Mediterranean climate, there is a good range of international varieties being grown, like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

The label with the pretty red bike

At the beginning of this year the Languedoc hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Twelve French merchants and Co-op executives from the Languedoc were fined and given suspended jail terms for flogging the equivalent of 18 million bottles of fake Pinot Noir to the US giant Gallo for their brand Red Bicyclette.

One would wonder how the American consumer, or even more so, how the buying team at Gallo didn’t suspect that it wasn’t Pinot Noir. As it turns out, it was the French authorities who raised the alarm after coming across discrepancies within the paperwork.

David O’Flaherty, Grapes and Grains, had this to say:

“Mr and Mrs Johnson will buy a “Pinot Noir” because they saw the movie Sideways, but wouldn’t know whether to drink a Gevrey-Chambertin or pour it over their pancakes.  And they know French wines are supposedly superior, but damn confusing, so in comes Gallo to bridge this gap.  An American wine producer moves into the French countryside, discards the AOC system, buys massive amounts of juice and sells varietal-labeled wine off France’s doorstep.  Brilliant, really.  A bottle of French Pinot Noir?  For under $10? Perfect!  And a cute man on a bike carrying baguettes?  Even more perfect.  Oo la la!”

Perhaps a few strings need to be tightened in those loosened up regulations mentioned above. Until then, or should I say until the end of May, we have buy 5 get one free on all of our Languedoc wines.

Take it from us, if it says ‘Pinot Noir’ on the bottle…