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Roussillon is the southernmost wine-growing region of France. It stretches along the Mediterranean coast from Port Barcarès to the Pyrenees and is framed by three mountain ranges: Corbières in the north, Canigou in the west and Albères in the south. As part of the merged Languedoc-Roussillon region, the area is geographically roughly equivalent to the Pyrénées-Orientales department, bordering the Aude department to the north, the Ariège department and Andorra to the west, and Spain to the south.

Landscape near Vingrau (Photo: CIVR)

The name Roussillon goes back to the medieval county of Rosselló, whose former capital Perpignan is also the current administrative seat of the département. Along with Vallespir, Conflent, Capcir, Alta Cerdanya and Fenouillèdes, Rosselló was one of six historic northern Catalan counties (comarques) founded at the beginning of the 9th century by Emperor Charlemagne as parts of the Spanish Marche to defend the Frankish Empire against the Moors. The territory belonged to Spain from the 12th to the 17th century, until Northern Catalonia became part of France after the Franco-Spanish War in the course of the Peace of the Pyrenees in 1659. With the exception of Fenouillèdes, the Comarques were grouped together to form the historical province of Roussillon, which was united with Fenouillèdes to form the department of Pyrénées-Orientales after the French Revolution in 1790. In 1960, the Languedoc-Roussillon region was created from a total of five départements. Catalan culture, language and mentality can still be found everywhere in Roussillon, and similarities to the neighbours on the other side of the Pyrenees are also clearly visible in viticulture.

Origin of the wines: landscape, climate, soils

At the eastern foot of the Canigou mountain range, the river valleys of Têt and Tech widen to form a very fertile plain. Fruit and vegetable fields dominate the landscape. Vineyards and olive groves - interrupted again and again by wild garriguel landscape - are found mainly in the barren, hilly hinterland. The rocky Côte Vermeille - the destination of many artists such as Matisse and Derain - follows the northern lagoon coast south to the Spanish border.

Bay of Paulilles (Photo: CIVR)

Roussillon has a Mediterranean climate with an average annual temperature of 15 degrees and an average sunshine duration of around 2,600 hours per year. This makes the region one of the hottest in France. The average annual rainfall is 577 millimetres, but it is not evenly distributed throughout the year: heavy rain falls at the beginning of spring and in autumn, while the plants have to endure great drought in summer. Even during the "rainy seasons", strong winds ensure that the soil and the vines dry quickly, so that the danger of rot is low and hardly any chemical agents have to be used to combat disease: the cold, dry Tramontane from the northwest, the warm, moist Marinade from the east-southeast - i.e. from the sea - and the warm, dry Spanish wind from the south-southwest. This Mediterranean, windy climate and the very dry summer period reliably ensure healthy and ripe grapes.

The soils in Roussillon are rather poor, but consist of many different subsoils - from limestone and clay-limestone to slate, gneiss, pebbles and granite to terraces with alluvial soil. The different terroirs are often reflected in the individual demarcated appellations.

Vineyards at the foot of the Canigou (Photo: CIVR).

Background of the wines: Areas, quantities, grape varieties

The viticultural history of Roussillon can be traced back to Celtic and Greek times. In the last 30 years, however, production has steadily declined. The productive area of the vineyards, which reach an altitude of 600 metres, has decreased from 58,000 hectares in 1980 to around 24,000 hectares in 2010, and with around 31 hectolitres per hectare, the average yield in Roussillon is rather low anyway. The département of Pyrénées-Orientales ranks ninth out of all wine-producing départements, with two percent of the national volume. However, 80 percent of France's natural sweet wines (Vins Doux Naturels) are produced here.

Both the reduction in acreage and the comparatively low yields at least favour the quality of the wine. The region focuses on class instead of mass, and especially in the dry wines, the weight has shifted in favour of wines with a protected designation of origin over the past 20 years. Due to the strong exposure to the sun, however, Roussillon wines quickly tend to be rather expansive in fruit and often present themselves as powerful and high in alcohol. Careful work in the vineyard and cellar is required to ensure that they do not turn out banal and thick - especially from vineyards at lower altitudes.

Slate walls in the vineyard (Photo: CIVR)

Roussillon is mainly known for its red and rosé wines as well as its sweet wines. Here, the grape varieties grown are typical of the Mediterranean region - as reds, predominantly Grenache Noir (23%), Syrah (16.7%), Carignan (14.1%) and Mourvèdre (3.3%); as whites, mainly Muscat à Petits Grains (10.4%), Muscat d'Alexandrie (8.1%), Macabeu (7.4%), Grenache Blanc (4.8%) and Grenache Gris (3.6%).

Classification of the wines: IGP, AOP, VDN

The new EU wine market regulation, which has been in force since 2009, changes, among other things, the wine designation law in the member states. Quality wines become wines with a protected designation of origin (PDO), country wines become wines with a protected geographical indication (PGI), table wines become wines without a protected designation of origin. The latter are called "Vin de France" in France, and the Anivin de France association is responsible for them. The administration for wines with protected designation of origin (PGI and PDO) is the responsibility of the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO). The wine market reform in France must be fully implemented by 2014, from then on only the new terms may be used.

Play of colours of the Roussillon wines (Photo: CIVR)

Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP)
Wines with a protected geographical indication (IGP) have so far been called Vins de Pays (VDP). IGP must already appear on the bottle label as a designation; only during the transitional period may the term "Vin de Pays" also be indicated. Roussillon has three IGP appellations:

Appellation d'Origine Protégée (AOP)
The Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) has so far been called Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC). AOP may only appear on the bottle label if the wine meets the - sometimes stricter - requirements for this designation, which focus in particular on the "relationship to the terroir". By 2014, all AOCs must have been converted into AOPs; before then, wines for which the production criteria (area delimitation, wine description, grape varieties, maximum yield, winemaking methods, etc.) have not yet been newly defined or recognised may only be designated as AOCs as before. In Roussillon, all AOPs are already in force.

For the 13 protected designations of origin of Roussillon, a distinction must be made between dry wines and natural sweet wines. The following appellations exist for dry red, rosé and white wines:

  • AOP Côtes du Roussillon
    (defined grape varieties, maximum yield 50 hl/ha)
  • AOP Côtes du Roussillon Les Aspres
    (red wines only, defined grape varieties, maximum yield 45 hl/ha)
  • AOP Côtes du Roussillon Villages
    (red wines only, defined grape varieties, maximum yield 45 hl/ha; also applies to the four appellations below)
  • AOP Côtes du Roussillon Villages Latour de France
  • AOP Côtes du Roussillon Villages Caramany
  • AOP Côtes du Roussillon Villages Lesquerde
  • AOP Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel
  • AOP Collioure
    (defined grape varieties, maximum yield 40 hl/ha)

Appellations of dry Roussillon wines (source: CIVR)

Natural sweet wines (Vins Doux Naturels - VDN) are wines made from very ripe grapes with a high sugar content, where fermentation has been stopped by adding alcohol. These fortified sweet wines are produced in five appellations:

  • AOP Rivesaltes
    (specified grape varieties, maximum yield 30 hl/ha)
  • AOP Muscat de Rivesaltes
    (white wines only, authorised grape varieties Muscat à Petits Grains and Muscat d'Alexandrie, maximum yield 30 hl/ha)
  • AOP Maury
    (mainly red wines, specified grape varieties, maximum yield 30 hl/ha)
  • AOP Banyuls
    (mainly red wines, defined grape varieties, maximum yield 30 hl/ha)
  • AOP Banyuls Grand Cru
    (analogous to Banyuls, only for exceptional vintages)

Appellations of the natural sweet wines of Roussillon (source: CIVR)

According to the region's wine industry association, the 2011 vintage in Roussillon promises to be of very good quality. The cold winter in January turned into a warm spring, a relatively cool and rainy July was followed by a warm and again wet August, also with heavy thunderstorms at the beginning of the month, but the Tramontane reliably prevented unwanted rot in autumn, so that the grapes were able to ripen perfectly. One can be curious.

All currently tasted white wines from Roussillon

All currently tasted rosé wines from the Roussillon

All currently tasted red wines from Roussillon

All currently tasted Vins Doux Naturels from Roussillon

To the Roussillon wine trade association (CIVR)

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