Easter
SIMPLY LIVING FRANCE
PAGE 82
LANGUEDOCROUSSILLON
R
egion of France, located in Southern France, is part of the large Mediterranean Coastal area and extends from Provence to the Pyrénées and Spanish border and is now part of Occitanie. The Languedoc makes up around 90% of the area and Roussillon makes up the other 10%. It is three times the combined areas of Bordeaux and has been, for several centuries, an important centre of wine making. Languedoc-Roussillon is the largest wine producing region, with more than one in three French wines produced here and is the mainstay of the local economy. This region adopted the marque for its produce, not limited to wine, ‘Sud de France’, in 2006. Among its best-known wines are Vins de Pays d’Oc and sparkling Crémant de Limoux. Grape varietals are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. The traditional Rhône grapes of Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah and Viognier also feature. The wines pair particularly well with the Mediterranean diet of olive oil, vegetables, fish, cheese and bread.
by
Pam Gagiano
A few of the best known appellations are Languedoc AOC, Corbières AOC and Minervois AOC to name a few. There are more than 500 wine cooperatives. The vines were first planted by the Greeks and Etruscans around six centuries BCE as the climate was rightly thought to be ideal for the cultivation of vines. In CE 92, the Emperor Domitian forbade all further vine planting in the empire and thus required half the vines in the provinces to be uprooted! Fortunately, the Church knew the vineyards were a source of wealth and were able to save them. Starting in the Vlll century, a large network of monasteries and abbeys were built around the vineyards, so providing protection, with many still active today! In the 17th century, the Canal du Midi was built which connected the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the railway system, which was established in the 19th century, this made transporting the produce and wines from the area very much easier, which in turn created great prosperity for this region.
