a.o.c. - appellation contrôlée

Corbières
This region located between Carcassonne, Narbonne and Pyrenees-Orientales has been a wine growing area since the age of the Romans; in favour of the lime content of the soil, the wines produced of Carignan, Syrah, Grenache and the ancient vine Mourvèdre form the major part of the wines in the Corbières.

Based on the so called Macération Carbonique, the wine became more intense with spicy full bodies. For this type of vinification the ripe grapes are placed in fermentation tanks and filled with carbonic acid, hence, the intercellular connection takes place, resulting in fresh, floral wines.

For the white wines fermentation in oak jars - the barriques - is preferred, resulting in fresh, fruity wines with a fine acid and intense structure, first of all produced from Carginan and Chardonnay.

Various Vins de Pays d'Oc are produced in the Corbières, anyhow one should prefer those wines which are labelled as Appellation d'Origin Controlée label. The strong, balanced red wines are of spicy flavour, and they are grown in the area Southe of Carcassonne. The white wines of the Corbieères with their lively floral flavour are cultivated from the grapes of Macabeu, Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc, Terret Blanc, Clairette, Picpoul (being perfect with oysters) and Muscat.

The strong flavoured red wines are vinificated from the vines of Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. 39 communities - les Corbières Superieur - have been divided into eleven territories, in favour of a more exact determination of the origin of the wines. The winemakers themselves limited their harvesting quantity to 45 hl/ha.

Fitou
This region located Northe of Perpignan was granted A.O.C qualification for its red wines as early as in the year 1948; thus, being the oldest appellation of the whole Languedoc-Roussillon vinegrowing area. Vines have been cultivated in the Fitou area since Roman ages.

Nine communities have been granted the privilege to sell their wines with the name Fitou A.O.C.. This red wines with strong bodies are vinificated from the grapes of Grenache Noir, Carignan, Syrah and Mourvèdre. These red wines with their old tradition need nearly 6 years until they reach their strong body.

Fitou must consist of 30 % Carignan min. Nowadays Cuvées containing up to 60 % Syrah will be accepted. Only a few wiemakers produce traditional Fitous with a minimum portion of 55 % Carignan and Grenache, since they detected, that the grapes of the vines Carignan and Syrah result in the perfect Fitou.

About 700 winemakers produce 100.000 hecta litres of outstanding wines, because the vinedressers themselves limited the quantites of grapes to be harvested and grown to only 39 hl/ha, much less than for the Prémier Crus of the Médoc. Fitou is class - no mass!

The terroirs along the Mediterrenean Sea ar3 lime soils, in which Grenache, Carignan and the ancient Mourvèdre vine grow. The A.O.C. terroirs of the inland are located 500 m above sea level, the soil is lime and chaulk, being perfect for the typical vine of this region: Syrah

Rivesaltes
Strictly spoken this famous sweet wine is a Fitou; because only the nine outstanding communities of the Fitou area have been granted the privilege to produce Rivesaltes and Muscat de Rivesaltes. The old Rivesalte wines are called Rancio. The Rivesaltes wines are vinificated from the three types of Grenache: noir, gris, blanc, as well as Macabeu und Malvoisie.
Muscat de Rivesaltes is produced in a very small region and it is only cultivated from the grapes of the Muscat vines. This Muscat de Rivesaltes, which must only contain Muscat grapes, can either be tasted very young or it may be banned in a cellar for 20 years.

Another sweet wine of this region is also a Rivesaltes - Maury, grown in a village of the same name and unfortunately not well known outside of France. The vines for this wine are grown on slate soil and the outstanding sweet wine is vinificated of 50 % Grenache Noir min.

Minervois - Côtes de Roussillon - Faugères