Does the region your wine comes from make a difference to the taste?
Languedoc-Roussillon...What's the difference?
The Languedoc Roussillon is grouped together as a wine region in the South East corner of France.
Did you know that the Languedoc produces about 90% of wines in the region, while the Roussillon is producing 10%.
We like to think that the small 10% is where the magic happens. The Roussillon is in the furthest south corner, creating an amphitheatre to the Mediterranean, stretching west along the Spanish/ Catalonian border across to the Pyrenees.
Old vines in the Roussillon produce smaller yields, resulting in more intense flavours and concentration of the grape.
While the regions are often lumped together, the two can have extremely varied characteristics from varietals, to vineyards, soils and wine profiles.
The Roussillon is known to be more rugged in terrain, steep slopes, mountainous and schist soils. While more difficult to work the vineyards, these conditions can produce incredible potential for wine styles, new and old as well as ideal conditions for organic farming.
The Res Fortes team has to do market research of course, and we enjoyed a sunny day this past autumn trying out many local delights at a Roussillon winetasting event in Perpignan.
What have you tried from the Roussillon lately?