Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon
The vast wine region of Languedoc-Roussillon in south-east France is home to a diverse and constantly improving range of wines, with vineyards stretching north from the Spanish border past the cities of Marseille and Montpellier. Once home to cheaply produced, rustic table wines, the last 30 years have seen a drastic turnaround, as competition from keenly priced New World wines forced producers to move away from their traditional approach and focus on innovation and quality. The introduction of the Vin de Pays classification in 1979 allowed producers to label by variety, and consumers were able to see whether their wine was made from Chardonnay, Merlot, Grenache or Cabernet. Investment from the established wine cognoscenti of other regions has also helped and improved the viticultural development of Languedoc-Roussillon, and today excellent value can be derived from the region's wines, no matter which variety you like to drink.
