Part II · Terroir

Languedoc-Roussillon

[lang-uh-DOK roo-see-YOHN]

France's most dynamic value-wine frontier; Banyuls VDN is the world's chocolate wine.

The Region

Languedoc-Roussillon is France's largest vineyard area and its most dynamic value frontier, producing ripe, generous reds from Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan across a vast Mediterranean expanse. Banyuls, a fortified sweet red (VDN), is prized with chocolate.

History

The Languedoc supplied bulk wine to France and northern Europe for centuries before overproduction and the 1907 winemakers' revolt. The late 20th century saw a quality revolution — replanting, appellation creation (AOC Languedoc, 2007), and investment in terroir-driven sites.