Jardins de France [Gardens of France-Loire]

Comte Tolosan [Southwest]

Pays D'Oc [South]

Languedoc-Roussillon This warm southern area produces more wine than all of
"Midi" the United States and represents 1/3 of the total production
of France. In the past, the growers in this area would produce large quantities of relatively light mediocre wines. The recent trend is to produce less quantity but higher quality wines. This trend also includes using varieties such as Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Cabernet Sauvignon and a few others. These new varieties were not included in the Appellation Controllee laws and were relegated to the Vin de Pays level. Drought and warm temperatures can cause problems yet the influence of the Mediterranean Sea is the most important climactic factor.
We can expect new and innovative wines to come from this region in the future.

Production by quality level in France
*Appellation Controllee: 17%
*Vins de Pays: 52% [85% Pays D'Oc]
*Vins de Table: 31%