Chronicles of the great southern terroirs
If you feel like you want to take the Occitanie wines have so much soul and personality, it is above all because the winegrowers of the south of France watch over the richness, authenticity and quality of their ancestral vineyards.
Wines from the South-West, wines from Languedoc, wines from Roussillon
No less than 60 Appellations
Protected Origin
More than 50 indications
Protected Geographical
Occitania vineyards are distributed on the ancestral soils of the south of France where the establishment of the vine dates back to Antiquity. They are spread over natural wine-growing areas, distinct from the strict perimeter of administrative regions. They mainly cover the current Occitanie – Pyrenees/Mediterranean region, but also extend into Nouvelle Aquitaine on the western fringe, and into Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur on the eastern fringe.
From the southwest to the southeast, from the near Ocean to the shores of the Mediterranean, the vineyards border the Pyrenees chain then come up against these foothills of the Massif Central which are the Cévennes and the Montagne Noire. If properly counted, the wine-growing areas extend over an area of 263 hectares, including 000 for the south-west part and 37 for the south-east part. Bringing together the production areas of Languedoc wines, Roussillon wines and wines from the South West, this vast territory is distinguished by a density of wine appellations unique in the world. THE Occitanie wines are in fact spread over around sixty Protected Designations of Origin (AOP) and nearly fifty Protected Geographical Indications (PGI).
Benefiting from the proximity of the Pyrenees and the oceanic influences South West, bathing in a very nuanced Mediterranean climate in Languedoc and Roussillon
Occitania vineyards bring together in the same territory an unrivaled diversity of appellation wines. The very high quality level that they have acquired also makes them ambassadors of incomparable nuances of terroir, served by the specific character of regional grape varieties and the contrasting interweaving of a variety of climatic singularities.
Wines from the Southwest or wines from Languedoc & Roussillon? Pyrenees or Mediterranean?
Southwest vineyards
Southeast vineyards
Occitanie wines: varieties, characteristics, typical features
Occitanie wines are distributed in two main types. In Languedoc and Roussillon The Mediterranean signature of the wines is evident. It comes in many nuances, depending on whether the vineyards are close to the sea or nestled in the bordering reliefs of the Pyrenees, the Cévennes or the Massif Central. Red wines are the majority, commonly made from Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan. White wines, for their part, often make the reputation of their own appellations such as Pinet Popsicle, Clairette du Languedoc or the sparkling wines from Limoux.
In the South West, where oceanic influences dominate, the vineyards are divided into archipelagos. The typicality of the wines is frequently qualified by local grape varieties, such as Tannat on the Madiran vineyard, the Malbec on the vineyard of Cahors or Négrette on the vineyard Fronton. The Gaillac vineyard would even be the most demonstrative, where the restoration of indigenous grape varieties is one of the claimed characteristics of the appellation.
From the Mediterranean coast to the hilly lands of the Southwest, Occitanie offers a palette of wines of rare richness, revealing each of its terroirs and a living memory of its traditions.
Our selection of wines for summer
Mas Onésime: the “Jour Fruit” vintages
La Croix Belle: full sun on the rosés
ALTA, the rosé by Anne de Joyeuse
Corbières wines, by Domaine Lérys
Domaine Rotier – Sketch 2023
Occitanie vineyards: winegrowers in the spotlight
Heard as cultural region of southern Europe, Occitanie is a mosaic of wine-growing regions. Number of Occitan winegrowers is remarkable in this respect. All contribute to the wine-growing reputation of their three major identity regions: the South West, Languedoc and Roussillon. Each independent domain, each cooperative grouping, brings its own signature to the Occitanie wines. All are determined by the characteristics of their production area, as much as by the local and family history that governs the management of the vines. Delving into these individual stories is as much a revelation of a human adventure as of the highly qualitative diversity of Occitania wine terroirs.
Find Occitanie wines on Instagram
Find Occitanie wines on InstagramOver the days and seasons, revealing the richness of the terroirs of Roussillon, Languedoc and South West Occitanie wines are also revealed on Instagram in marriage of cuvées and flavors.
Content creation: Elena Joubert, Media Vinea
Vineyards of Occitanie: first organic wine region
Benefiting from a particularly favorable climate, Occitania occupies the first place in the classification of vineyards conducted under organic labeling. Support for virtuous wine initiatives is even one of the first commitments of the local authority. In the South-West as in Languedoc-Roussillon, the number of estates whose wines are officially certified organic or organic conversion keeps growing. If the size of the domains concerned mainly includes small farms of a few hectares managed by independent winegrowers, the dynamic is also driven by large wine-growing structures. Together, all contribute to the reputation of organic wines from Occitanie, available in all the typicities of each terroir and each appellation.
Vineyards of High Environmental Value
When the Occitania wineries do not benefit from an organic labeling, they often opt for a certification in High Environmental Value (French Environmental Label) (label HVE). This classification, supervised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, concerns the entire vineyard or the wines produced by the farm. It guarantees that the vineyards concerned are engaged in environmentally friendly approaches. Control is exercised on several levels of consistency: promoting biodiversity, regulate thephytosanitary intervention, rationalize fertilization and optimize theirrigation. The approach promoting good environmental health in the vineyards of the South-West and Languedoc-Roussillon, HVE certified domains are highlighted on Occitania vineyards.