The Land
From the mountains to the sea, Languedoc-Roussillon is a region steeped in conflicted history, stunning beauty, and uniquely varied terroir with the highest percentage of organic vineyards anywhere in France.
The Climate
The Languedoc-Roussillon is a geographic wonder with a perfect climate that has sustained civilizations for millennia.
The region is cradled by mountain ranges on the north and south and the Mediterranean to the east. The west is exposed, allowing the fabled Tramontane winds from northern Europe and the Atlantic Ocean to funnel into the region between the Pyrennes Mountains and the plateaus and mountains of the Massif Central, which rises through south central France.
Where growing organic grapes is a struggle in other parts of the world, this drying wind helps keep our grape leaves healthy naturally and supports the region's significant production of organic and biodynamically grown wines.
On top of this, the region receives gorgeous sunshine 316 days a year on average. All of this creates a perfect environment for cultivating grapes — a legacy of the Languedoc-Roussillon for more than 2,000 years!
The Soil
Our region’s soil is incredibly rich and varied as a result of the “Languedoc-Roussillon Symphony”, the collision of tectonic plates and the subsequent flooding of the formerly dry Mediterranean basin, creating beautiful soils for wine growing: shale (schist) with limestone, volcanic soil, sandstone and calcareous clay, pebble terraces, limestone and clay, and sandy loam near the Mediterranean.
Grapes grown on one soil can differ in taste from the same grapes grown on entirely different soil, resulting in equally differentiated wines. The soil in Languedoc-Roussillon can change drastically in just 30 feet, creating extensive variety in the flavors and structure of the wines.
As the largest wine producing region in the world, we can offer a virtually limitless variety of wines and styles, expressing the specific terroir of each vineyard and the vision of each winemaker.
We invite you to experience this fascinating diversity through the wines we select, and to help you discover your favorites.
The Context
The plant life and landscape are equally varied, from lush chestnut and walnut high mountain forests, to lower elevation Mediterranean pine groves surrounding “the garrigue”, to rugged wild herbs and aromatic scrublands, and further down to the wetlands — home to thousands of birds on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. There, the basins are full of fresh succulent seafood, including our favorite oysters and other shellfish that work in perfect harmony with a chilled Picpoul de Pinet, a grape and wine you will find only here. Because the temperature varies with altitude and position, the range of grapes grown in the Languedoc-Roussillon is staggering.
We will help expand your palate by introducing wines from some of the lesser known but delicious grape varieties that this diverse landscape supports.
The Languedoc-Roussillon region, is now part of the French government department called Occitanie but we have chosen to keep the traditional name Languedoc-Roussillon.