Wines from the Corbieres,Languedoc
The Corbieres region of the Languedoc has always been making great wines by some innovative winemakers and wine producers. They are even better now
Firstly, where is this area? It
is based in the Languedoc, south of France. It incorporates the Aude and the
Pyrenees Orientales departments of the Languedoc. It is best known for its
wines, but there is so much more to discover.
A holiday in the Corbières is
essentially about the pleasures of wandering through almost deserted
countryside (four inhabitants per square kilometer makes it one of the emptier
parts of France), under a sun, which shines for 300 days of the year. You could
spend every day on the beach, swimming, boating, or windsurfing, but it would
be a shame because there is much to discover in the hinterland. Food and wine in the
Languedoc also play a big part in the enjoyment of visiting the Languedoc.
The region also has well-preserved
medieval abbeys — the most notable being at Fontfroide
and Lagrasse There are also some fine
examples of Romanesque architecture, often to be seen in the tiniest village
churches. It is the most characteristic feature of the region- namely the ruins
of the Cathar castles. The most impressive are undoubtably Quéribus and
Peyrepertuse.
For the nature lover, the Corbières
are a treasure trove; there are said to be 75 different species of orchids
here, plus the typical vegetation and wildlife of the garrigue.There is a
museum of flora and fauna at Gasparets
and if you speak French well enough, you may be able to join a guided tour from
Lezignan, Narbonne or Lagrasse . The best
season for this is spring and early summer (May-June), when there is a
profusion of wild flowers, and it is not yet too hot for walking. For anyone
with reasonable French we recommend a book
dans l’Aude by Patrick Valette and Jacques Drelon, published by the Office National
des Forêts (try tourist offices or local bookshops). It contains 40 walks of
varying length and difficulty, most of them off the beaten track, all clearly
explained and with plenty of supplementary information about plants, wildlife,
and local curiosities.
During the summer (July and August)
, when the French and France seem all to be on holiday, there is a profusion of
local festivities and animations, many of them free. Leather-clad
rock bands playing seventies and eighties hits complete with massive sound
systems and laser shows are very popular. However there are also folk and jazz
concerts, outdoor theatre, and impressive son et lumière presentations, notably
in Carcassonne (one of the most important Cathar castles in France) and at the
four Châteaux de Lastours. If your visit coincides with the 14th of July
(Bastille Day — a national holiday in France) many towns have firework
displays, some more impressive than others. The one in Carcassonne is said to
be second only to Paris in scale and splendour, and attracts up to 100,000
people. Gruissan, a small fishing village
on the coast, is also developing an increasing reputation for its display,
involving a sea battle on the lagoon which surrounds the town — worth a visit
if you can’t face the traffic jams in and around Carcassonne.
Local markets are a delight for the
keen cook (vegetarian or otherwise) staying in self-catering accommodation or
looking for picnic food. Mix shoulder to shoulder with the French and tourists
alike. Stalls are piled high with ripe melons, delicious peaches, huge
misshapen tomatoes with an incomparably sweet flavour, new crop pink and violet
garlic, every variety of goat’s cheese, tubs of olives flavoured with anchovy,
garlic, or chili … Stallholders range from the charcutiers with their big
refrigerated vans to the old lady with a table on which she lays out her
home-produced cheese, honey, and eggs. One of the best country markets is in
Lezignan on Wednesday mornings; and for the ultimate in profusion, a visit to
the 100-year old Halles (covered market) in Narbonne
with its 80-plus stalls is essential. Food is so varied and attractively laid
out. Feast your eyes on the food, buy the food and savour the tastes.
Wine
and food in the Languedoc is a vital part of the visitors’ enjoyment. Wine from
the Corbiere has bags of character and very distinctive reds. Red wine is made
to drink young, but many wines can be kept to mature, where they boldly open up
and make delicious drinking.
The
Corbieres is the largest wine growing area of the Aude. Streching from the
Southern banks of the Aude to the foot hills of the Pyrennes and down to the
etangs the Corbiere massif is a breathtaking spread of vine filled plains and
garrigue and oak covered hills. Peppered with fortresses like Villerouge Termines
and Durfort and abbeys like Fontfroide and Lagrasse the Corbieres is a truely
stunning part of the world.The Corbieres achieved AOC status in 1985, by this
time the area of vines had reduced down to approx 23,000 hectares (around
57 ,000 acres) from a height of double that. Famous for its Reds there have been
some great steps forward with both it Whites and Rose. The introduction of new
oak barrels- look out for “Eleve en Chene” on the labels have added a
greater density of flavour to some of the better Reds with some interesting
experiments going on with Chardonnay in the Servies region. The area also
produces somedelicious
biological wine.
The area
also contains many excellent restaurants where the local food can be as varied
as the andscape. It is a great area to visit and will not disappoint.
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Tags: bookshops, cathar castles, characteristic feature, corbies, days of the year, flora and fauna, garrigue, narbonne, nature lover, romanesque architecture, south of france, species of orchids, square kilometer, tourist offices, treasure trove, valette, village churches, wild flowers, wine producers, winemakers
