The land of WINE....

We're in the south of France now, just north of Spain, in a region called Langedoc and Roussillon. The Mission: wine tasting.






The vineyards of Roussillon are ancient, pre-dating the birth of Christ. Their origins are lost in history; various sources credit the Greeks, the Romans and even Hannibal. Whichever ancient traveler was responsible, viticulture has come to be the dominant agricultural activity in the region. The soils (if one can call it soil), baked by the hot Mediterranean sun, are fabulously diverse. Unlike North Saanich, there is infrequent rainfall, and what does fall quickly evaporates; the direct effect of the sun and the "Tramontane", the blustery wind that seems to constantly blow from the northwest. In fact the windblown, arid and rocky soils are suitable for little else other than the vine and the olive tree.

Vineyards are terraced with rock walls and vines are ancient. One rarely sees vine supports.




So here it is that we are seeking out the "vin doux naturels" wines produced with predominantly Grenache Noir. Our first destination is at one of the regions most respected producers: MAS AMIEL, of the MAURY appellation. Having spent a few days in Napa during February (including two days with Glen Turnbull) we were expecting large and eloborate tasting venues, much like what you'd expect in Napa, or even the larger producers in the Okanagan Valley. Such was not the case. We find ourselves lost on a single lane bumpy road, poor signage. Finally we spot the working winery. "Where is the tasting room?" i ask a bystander in my broken french. "over there" he says. It's a hut with a handwritten sign "if no one is here, honk your horn".

Production of a true "Maury" vin doux includes halting fermentation by the addition of pure alcohol. Unlike sherry, the sweetness of the wine is created without the addition of any sugar additives. The juice is oxidized in glass demijohns, left outside for over a year. Subsequent aging takes place in oak. We purchased a bottle of 10 year old (like scotch, the minimum age of wine in the blend) to take home... let's see if it makes it!


Demijohns outside for oxidizing wine

The next day we tasted more dessert wines of the Banyuls AOC. These wines can be very dry, or medium, but rarely as sweet as North American dessert wines. Chocolate lovers will note that of all the wines in the world, only two are generally recommended to go with any chocolate dish: Maury and Banyuls.

DM