THURSTQUEEN WORLD TOUR: LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON

It’s a wine appellation— not a sneeze.

It’s also one of the most exciting appellations - or AOCs if you wanna be fancy - in all of France.

And at 700,000 acres of vineyards — it could be the largest AOC in the entire world.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

If you’re a bargain hunter like me — and I’m assuming you are because you’re reading my blog — this place is where it’s at!

If you want to buy delicious, high quality wines (Especially Red ones) without breaking the bank — look no further.

I don’t know why, but counting all the money I’ve saved from purchasing wines from the Languedoc AOC makes me feel like Danny DeVito.

The Deets On LDR

The Languedoc-Roussillon

Not Lana Del Rey

Let’s just call it the Languedoc for short - as most Wine Folk do.

If this is your first time hearing about the Languedoc, don’t feel bad. Most people in the United States had no idea it even existed until the 1990s. That’s probably because the majority of wines that came from this region were… pretty meh.

In the 1980s, the wine industry transformed and the quality skyrocketed while the prices remained dirt cheap.

A kaleidoscope of grapes.

There are so many different varietals, styles of wine and winemaking techniques practiced here by the vignerons that this is a region where there’s truly something for everyone.

What is a vigneron, you ask?

A vigneron is the French term the translates closest to, “winemaker,” or, “vintner,” in English.

That being said, the French believe that wine is made in the vineyards - not in the cellar. That’s why they don’t call themselves, “winemakers.” Instead, they call themselves, “wine growers,” or, vignerons.

In France, winemaking is all about terroir.

Ter-what?

Terroir, is a very beautiful French term that describes a lot of things involving the wine’s relationship to the land, the geography, soil types, weather, grapes grown there, and the traditional techniques implemented in the vineyards.

If a wine has terroir that means it has a sense of place.

Individual terroirs are really like a bunch of snowflakes. No two are the same. That’s what makes wine so special.

Yes, you can say terroirs are special snowflakes.

Anyway, since we’re talking about terroir, let’s get back to the LDR.

A rocky history…

The Languedoc and Roussillon were two separate provinces. The Languedoc belonged to France starting in the late 13th Century and Roussillon belonged to Spain until 1659.

In the Middle Ages, wines from the Languedoc were considered prized possessions. In fact, some of the wines from the St-Chinian appellation - one of my faves - were considered to have healing powers. The hospitals in Paris prescribed them to ailing patients.

Sign me up for some of that medicine.

… or drink some St Chinian

Eventually, the quality of these wines deteriorated. And throughout the majority of the 19th Century they were considered, “blah,” wines and the Languedoc Roussillon fell in the shadow of its cooler sisters - Burgundy, Bordeaux, Provence and the Côtes du Rhône.

Until now.

The Languedoc is in the middle of a Renaissance, and the wines just keep getting better and better. This is why it’s definitely an AOC to keep major tabs on.

GEOGRAPHY OF THE LANGUEDOC

This massive stretch of land starts from Spain by the Pyrenees Mountains in the South and spans the Mediterranean Sea all the way to the the Rhône Valley in the East. The Languedoc tends to have pretty dry growing seasons, with the occasional rainy winter.

The climate is considered Mediterranean, which is perfect for growing grapes. The majority of the vineyards are planted along the costal planes of the Languedoc. In the Roussillon the vineyards are planted in the valleys by the Pyrenees.

The important AOCs of this region would be the:

Corbières AOC - Good for Reds & Rosés. Some of the more, “critically acclaimed,” Languedoc wines come from Corbières. The red grapes featured here are Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, & Carignan primarily. If you are a fan of Châteauneuf de Papes, (or CDPs if you wanna abreve it - many of my old clients did) check this place out.

St Chinian AOC - Quite possibly one of the oldest appellations in the Languedoc, St Chinian is definitely one of my favorites. This is a soulful, Red Wine place. Wines from this region have a lot of character. You can expect dark fruit, spices, and garrigue. Garrigue is a fancy pants wine term meant to describe the aroma of the Mediterranean scrub that grows in regions like the Languedoc and the Rhône.

Limoux AOC - Bubbleheads! Listen up! If you’re about your bubbles, look no further than Limoux. Limoux has some of the oldest and most desirable plantings of Chardonnay in the South of France. The Crémants that come out of this place are modern, clean, and complex. If you’re looking for another affordable bubbly to give your weekend a little sparkle, hit up some Crémant de Limoux.

Picpoul de Pinet AOC - Dry, acidic, white wine fans, pay attention! Picpoul de Pinet produces snappy, fresh, and affordable wines made with the grape Folle Blanche. Any Cognac fans out there? Folle Blanche is also a varietal that is used in making Cognac! If you’re looking for your next summer sipper, give Picpoul a shot! These wines are good and super inexpensive. A lot of them come in at the $10-$12.00 range. Stay tuned for the Pick Of The Week, where I’ll review one of these puppies!

Let’s talk Grapes.

What I love about the Languedoc is the fact that there are so many grapes planted here. Some of the other regions cough cough Bordeaux cough cough are so regulated in terms of what grapes can be planted there. And I’m sorry… But to me? That’s just kind of boring.

But that’s not the case of the Languedoc. There are no rules here. It’s like Vegas for grapes. Minus the gambling and legalized prostitution.

Despite all of this, there are some grapes that are just better suited to the region’s Mediterranean climate. You don’t see a crazy amount of Riesling planted here, or Müller-Thurgau.

Red Grapes

Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache, Picpoul Noir, Terret Noir, Merlot, Mourvèdre, Syrah

White Grapes

Bourblenc, Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul, Marsanne, Rolle, Roussane, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Mauzac, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, Muscat of Alexandria, and Sauvignon Blanc.

We’ve already talked about some of these grapes, and in later blog posts we will talk about some of the others. Right now I want to focus on some of the grapes that are more commonly associated with the LDR.

Carignan -

This medium bodied red varietal is kind of a, “workhorse varietal.” Because of that, it gets mishandled a lot. It’s a hardy, drought resistant little grape that has a high yield. When Carignan is treated right, you’ll be amazed at the depth it can bring to a wine. If you’re into dried cranberries, spices, fennel, smokiness, and a lot of complexity, you should look for Carignan.

Cinsault -

You may have heard of this Red varietal if you drink a lot of Rosé. Cinsault is usually the grape that is added to Rosés of Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah in smaller quantities to add a little bit of fruitiness and floral qualities.

It’s more of a blending grape, and kind of hard to find on its own. Still, you’d be amazed at how many people I’ve met who taste Rosé with like… 5% of Cinsault and say, “Wow! I can really taste the Cinsault!”

It’s the same as those people that are like, “Woah, that 2% of Cabernet Franc really stands out!”

Anyway, Cinsault on its own can be pretty. It’s pleasant, lighter bodied, and fruity. I’ve had some single varietal Cinsault and I tend to get bubble gum, which I really like. But generally you can expect ripe strawberry, white Pepper, and some spices.

Mauzac -

Mauzac is one of the indigenous grapes to the LDR. This late ripening grape produces delightfully higher acid wines — perfect for those of the bubbly nature. Unfortunately, Mauzac has lost a bit of its popularity in favor of Chardonnay.

Mauzac is known for its distinctive green apple taste.

Chardonnay shoving Mauzac politely aside: akin to David shoving Stevie in Schitt’s Creek…

Bourblenc -

Like Cinsault, Bourblenc is commonly used as a blending grape. Bourblenc has very large berries, really good body, and acidity. Some people get subtle aromas of lemons, limes, and an interesting smoky quality.

Let’s dive into our…

PICK OF THE WEEK:

Montmassot Picpoul De Pinet 2019 $11.99 @ K&L Wines

Picpoul bottles are called Neptunes. See the waves cresting along the neck of the bottle and the cross at the top? Look for those if you want an authentic Picpoul de Pinet.

I remember when I was brokering wines from the Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico and was showing a buyer a wine that was actually kind of similar to this.

It was a stainless steel Chardonnay: crisp and focused. One buyer tasted it and after called it a, “porch pounder.” Meaning… of course… that you could have glass after glass of this thing on the porch.

This Picpoul would fit into that category. And it actually clocks in at a 12.5% in terms of alcohol, which isn’t too bad.

The Montmassot Picpoul de Pinet is super playful and it literally dances on your tongue. There’s a sea of aromas like ripe pears, peaches, and zesty lemons kissed with just a little bit of salt.

It’s a bouncy, lean and lively little wine that you can have without really thinking much about it — perfect for Summers by the pool, picnics outside, or casual nights in.

I love Picpoul de Pinet simply for those purposes. Before our current health crisis, if I was throwing a Pool Party or an outdoor BBQ, Picpoul De Pinet would definitely on my list of, “Must Have Easy Drinking Whites.”

This white is casual enough to take to a Music Festival - when we do start to have those again - and you can have it in red solo cups and still feel kind of cultured.

As for now, this is just a really great, snappy, affordable, fun little outdoor wine that is super inexpensive. At $11.99 I would definitely suggest this wine for Dry White Wine Drinkers on a budget.

If you’re shopping at Trader Joe’s and stumble across their frozen mussels in white wine sauce try having this wine with that and some crusty garlic bread.

It’s a great wine to have with Sushi as well, and if sea food isn’t your thing? Give it a shot with some Chicken Tacos from your favorite Taco Truck.