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Languedoc-Roussillon is a term which does not appear on wine labels, but has long been used by administrators, retailers, writers and other wine professionals. It groups together various appellations in the south of France from Nîmes and Montpellier in the east, along the Mediterranean coast and inland all the way to the Spanish border.
Regions covered
The coverage implied by the term goes beyond the catch-all Côtes du Roussillon and Languedoc AOPs. It also includes more geographically focussed AOCs such as Minervois (and its subzones) or Banyuls. Various IGPs come under the banner.
The administrative region combining Languedoc and Roussillon was created in the 1980s. It adds the Department of Lozère, where little wine production occurs, to what most wine professionals identify as Languedoc-Roussillon.
However, since 2016, both are part of the new "Occitanie" entity. The latter extends north and east into what was once Gascony, and to include the Lot department (whose capital is Cahors).
Division
Geography and culture separate the two parts. Languedoc is quintessentially French in character, belonging to the country since the 13th Century. Roussillon was acquired from Spain in the 17th Century, and shows clear influences of Spanish and Catalan culture.
Separating the terms Languedoc and Languedoc-Roussillon can be confusing. Over the centuries, the usage of "Languedoc" has included the Roussillon region, and more besides. In fact, between the Roman period and the Middle Ages, the territory of speakers of Occitan (the language of Oc or the "langue d'Oc") covered much of the southern half of what is now France.
Wine designations within Languedoc-Roussillon
The Pays d'Oc IGP more or less covers Languedoc-Roussillon. However winemakers with vineyards entirely within Roussillon have the option of labeling under IGP Côtes Catalanes.
In contrast, the Languedoc AOP (formerly Coteaux du Languedoc) is confined to vineyards in the Hérault plus the those of La Clape and Quatourze in the Aude. This is still over 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Roussillon.
About a quarter of all the wine producing vines in France are located in Languedoc-Roussillon. They contribute such diverse wines as the sparkling Blanquette de Limoux; the rich, sweet red fortified wines of Banyuls; and the rosés of the Côtes du Roussillon, not forgetting a vast range of often well-made, varietally-labeled, consumer-friendly wines.
Terroir
Soil types and terroir vary across the region – as much as the topography – making it hard to collectively describe them. Overall, it is a hot, dry region, with a definitively Mediterranean climate.
While Languedoc's vineyards are mostly located on coastal plains, those of Roussillon are either perched on cliff tops or nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees.
A large proportion of the land here is garrigue – the quintessential southern French landscape of dry, low-lying scrubland on limestone soils. There are also areas of slightly higher-altitude terrain, in the far south, and around the Montagne Noire in the north.
History of wine production
The arrival of railways in southern France (in the 19th Century) was a dramatic boost for the local wine industry, and led to significant changes at a national level. Historically, the transportation of wine had been limited almost entirely to water-borne means.
This gave regions like Bordeaux and the Loire Valley a significant advantage over their southern counterparts who lacked an efficient connection with key markets in northern France, Britain, The Netherlands and Germany.
Even with the Canal du Midi connecting Montpellier to Toulouse (and ultimately to Bordeaux via the Canal de Garonne), shipping wine northwards (effectively 'uphill') was a slow and impractical process.
Once the vineyards of Languedoc and Roussillon were connected by rail, the demand for their affordable, large-volume wines rose dramatically. It was this industrial development which marked the beginning of the area's story as a successful wine region.
