What sort of wine region is the Languedoc-Roussillon?

The Languedoc-Roussillon, located in the south of France along the Mediterranean coast is one of the world’s largest winemaking regions. Winemaker Emmanuel Pageot of Domaine Turner Pageot gives a 10,000 ft overview of the region and some of the climates where wine grapes grow. Ask a Winemaker talked with Emmanuel in Chicago at Red and White Wines and on location in Gabian, France.

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As you very well know the Languedoc-Roussillon is not only largest winemaking region in the world with just under 300,000 hectaires, but it’s also oldest winemaking region in France, going back 2600 years. It’s been a very tumultuous history with lots of ups and downs, and quality variations. To be very honest with you

The quality that put the Languedoc-Roussillon on the international scene is only a thirty year old history. So it’s very very young. Imagine three ecosystems meeting: we have the sea, we have the massif central being the oldest mountains, we have the young mountains of the Pyrenees.

We have all these terroirs, a mish mash of terroirs. Makes it extremely difficult to describe. I guess the common factor is probably the fact that it’s a Mediterranean climate. Therefore we tend to have wines with a bit more alcohol, more ripeness, a sense of fruitiness that others probably don’t have.

Tannins? Most of the time they tend to be a bit softer as well. maybe a bit less acidic than other regions. The Languedoc Roussillon is also for me like an intermediate stage… Take Grenache for example. Grenache in the Southern Rhone is a is very ripe and juicy, meaty,

Alcoholic…a ton of pleasure you get those wines like Gigondas, Rasteau, Chateauneuf du Pape, but then if you go extreme opposite, near the Spanish border, it goes into a real minerality an austere profile, and I guess the Languedoc Roussillon is really this… how should I put it? variation of

Styles. So many many different wines can be found in Languedoc Roussillon.