a.o.c. - appellation contrôlée

Minervois
Le Minerovis is best known terroir of the Roussillon, located in the Departements Aude and Hérault. The red wines, first of all those of Pic St. Loup, are among the best wines of the South of France. These fine, floral wines may be stored for a long period and they are of uncomparable harmonic taste.

Since 1985 Minervois is proud of her A.O.C. rating. Not more than 50 hl/ha are produced; and not more than 3000 new vines must be planted per hecta. The red wines are produced from Grenach Noir, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Lladoner-Pelut, Carignan, Cinsault, Picpoul Noir, Terret Noir and Aspiran Noir.

The same limitations apply to the Rosé wines. The white wines, which lack quality, compared to the red wines, are cultivated from the grapes of Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc Blanc, Maccabeu, Marsanne, Rousanne and Vermentino. The minimum alcohol contents of a red wine of Minervois must not be below 11.5% vol. %.

Côtes du Roussillon and Villages
These wines - red, white, rosé - are produced in the Southernmost vine terroir of France: Pyrénées Orientales. Generally, they will be assembled from various types of grapes. Carginan, Grenache Noir, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Lladoner Pelut for red wines and rosé. For white wines Macabeu, Grenache Blanc, Malvoisie, Vermentino, Roussanne and Marsanne are fermented. It is only a few years since these wines stepped up in quality; first of all due to the vines Syrah and Mourvèdre and the fermentation of their grapes in the oak jars, the barriques.

Of higher quality are the wines named Côtes-du-Roussillon-Villages, from the North-Western area of this region; being produced of the same grapes. The portion of high-quality wines - being more expensive - with fermentation in barriques is steadily growing. Only four communities - Latour, Caramany, Lesquerde and Tautavel - are permitted to carry the A.O.C. rating; anyhow, the Tautavel wine is outstanding.

Faugères
are very nice, strong red wines from a small terroir in the Departement of the Hérault; they can be stored over a long period. The vineyards in the Departement Hérault are located between Bédarieu and Béziers; 7 communities have been granted the privilege to add A.O.C. Faugères to their wine labels.

The portion of Carignan grapes may not exceed 40 %, combined with 20 % Cinsault as well as Grenache, Lledoner Perlut, Mourvèdre and Syrah, while the portion of Syrah and Mourvèdre may not exceed 20 %, on the other hand Syrah shall amount to 15 % min. (Complicated, isn't it?!)
85 % of the wines produced in this region are red wines and rosé wines.

Banyuls - Malepère - Cabardes - La Clape