A Brief History of "the Languedoc" and it's Wines

Before we dive deep into my numerous bottles of Languedoc wine, I feel it's worth going over a short and sweet summery of some basic history of "the Languedoc" along with its history in wine making. The history of this region is quite deep and complex, and has undergone several names. You'll find many names and terms associated with the area such as Languedoc-Roussillon, Occitania, and Occitan to name a few. There are many articles online that go into much great depth and detail, but I'll try make this short and sweet.

This region, along with many of France's regions and provinces, have been fairly dynamic with changing boarders and even capital cities. Languedoc (pronounced "long-uh-dock" by the way) refers to a historical province in the South-East part of France since around the 1200s that boarders the Mediterranean Sea with Toulouse as it's capital. The region was more recently known as Languedoc-Roussillon up to 2016 with Montepllier being the region's capital, and is what you'll probably see the area most commonly referred to. Roussillon refers to another historic region south of Languedoc that became a part of this region during an administrative shuffle. In 2016, many of the administrative regions of France changed once again. Much of the area that has historically been a part of Languedoc is now part of the current day Occitanie region. Despite this new and past names, many people still informally refer to the region as "the Languedoc" (at least when I was out there back in October 2019), and you can still find many references of this name throughout the area.

A map showing some of the historical "Gouvernements" of France. Languedoc is on the South-East in pink. Roussillon can be seen just South of Languedoc

A map showing the Languedoc-Roussillon Region as the area was known up to 2016.

The name Languedoc is derived from the language the people of the region spoke well before France became the France we know today. The southern part of France was previously known as Occitania well before it officially became part of France. The people of Occitania spoke the language Occitan, or "langue d'oc" as it was referred to by its native speakers (it literally translates to "language of oc" - oc also being the Occitan word for yes). There are many dialects of Occitan including one called Languedocian believe it or not. One misconception I've seen people have, including myself at one point, is that Occitan is a dialect of French. This is incorrect. Occitan is a distinct language completely separate from French. While it's still spoken in some parts of Southern France, it's unfortunately considered "severely endangered" as a result of French being forced as the nation's official language over its history (other dialects throughout France are also considered endangered as a result of this... but that's a completely different topic).

A historical map of Occitania and the dialects spoken in each region.

The Occitan Cross, also known as The Cross of Languedoc. This is hanging in my house and is one of the first things I see when I get back home.

There are many beauties to the Languedoc such as the Place de la Comedie of Montpellier, the Rome like structures of Nimes, and the fortified city of Carcassonne. However, being located in the South East region along the Mediterranean sea gives it the perfect year round climate to grow wine. In fact, this region is well known and has become quite popular for its massive wine production that can be traced back as far as fifth century BC. The Languedoc region produces about 1/3 of Frances total output of wine. You will also find some sources that state this is in fact the largest wine producing region by area in the world. The Languedoc was historically a mass producer of wine; quantity over quality to be specific to help quench the entire population. It wasn't until around the 1970s where much more focus was being put into the quality of the wines when consumers were starting to move away from cheap red wines. The Languedoc nowadays is known for having a very good quality to cost ratio of its many wines, and is why you can find some very decent quality wines at a very decent price. I highly recommend watching season 2 episode 2 of the Netflix series Rotten to get more info on the wine making history of this region, including its struggles.

A map showing the numerous vineyards of Languedoc

There are many types of grapes either commonly used, or directly grown and native to the Languedoc, that are used for the wines produced. Some famous grapes that are grown in the region or used for its red wine are Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache Noir, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. The skins of Grenache, Syrah, and Sinsault are most commonly used for the rosés made in the region. Some grapes grown or used for their white whites include Chardonnay, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, Mauzac, Chenin Blanc, Clairette Blanc, and Picpould Blanc. Many wines are either made with just one grape, or are a mix of several grapes. I'll detail which grape(s) are used in each of the wines I chug review.

If you pick up any bottle of Languedoc wine, or any French wine for that matter, you'll most likely notice one of the following words somewhere on the bottle: Appellation d'Origine Protégée (AOP), Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC), Vin de Pays, Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP), Vin de France, and Vin de Table. These all refer to the classification of wine given by the French government. The current classifications used as of 2012 are as follows:

• Appellation d'Origine Protégée (AOP) - This refers to wine that is made in a specific region of origin, or appellation, that the wine originates from. The wines these Appellations come from have to follow strict rules such as which grapes are grown or used, and how the are grown. This classification was was previously known as Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC).

• Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP) - This is a middle class that has fewer rules to follow compared to AOP/AOC; specifically which grape varieties can be used. This classification was previously known as Vin de Pays.

• Vin de France - This is the most basic classification of wine in France, and has the fewest to none rules on which grapes are used. This classification was previously known as Vin de Table.

These classifications can be roughly seen as the quality of the wine, but not necessarily the taste. An AOP wine may have used higher quality grapes all grown within the appellation under its rules and regulations, but the grapes used in a blended Vin de France could end up tasting much better and be much more affordable. I'll be including which classification the wine is in each of my reviews as well.

I think that's enough for now. Lets start drinking!