Today was the first day of the Languedoc Roussillon Study & Certificate Program offered by the French Wine Society with support from Sud de France. Twenty lucky students (most of whom I knew through my travels) crowded into the Maison de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon.

A very successful first day ... of course impossible to detail all of it here, yet as an exercise (thinking of the final!) I will try.

Our instructor was MW Matthew Stubbs who put the book together. As he told his story of going to the Languedoc for the first time as an MW student in the 1980s, he mentioned that in November the Languedoc was freezing and the students found a hotel ("Bates-like") he said, that had no heating and was filthy.

I go to the Languedoc several times a year, and the last time I went I ended up staying in a similar hotel in Agde, except it was summer, hot, and the hotel had changed hands yet had once been a place of ill-repute. My room, overlooking a charming canal, had been the major party room.

In any event, the lecture was really fabulous and I wish Mr. Stubbs MW could always be at my side when I visit the Languedoc for he knew everything about it ...

... after the first hour of history (quite tumultuous and violent) approached the 1930s, when the first AOCs were created, and learned it was partly because winemakers, winemaking families, and winery workers were revolting against unfair practices. Laws were created to give some semblance of control and equality.

One of the most spectacular things about the Languedoc is the dramatic topography and different soils, and we really tasted this in the grapes.

2010 Domaine Felines Jourdan Picpoul de Pinet (15.99) -- a really fabulous wine with a bright straw color and floral nose, medium acidity, and a refreshing nature of minerality and apple  with a saline edge. I spent a half day in Picpoul with some other educators, and also wrote an article about it for Palate Press

2008 Mas des Dams La Dame AOC Languedoc (18.00)

This is 50/30/20 Grenach, Syrach, Carignan from an area near Bezier, with black pepper and cinammon bark. Very spicy and dramatic and filled with a sense of place.

2009 Chaeau Lancyre Vieilles Vignes AOC Pic St. Loup (21.50)
This is a Syrah/Grenach blend  with lots of garrigue, black and white pepper, and an intense minerality. The stones in Pic St. Loup are so intense vineyards need dynamite to be planted. You can taste the stone in the wine.

2009 Clos de l;Amandaie Huis Clos - Gres de Montpellier (18)

Syrah Grenache once again, a deep intensity of stones, lots of concentration.

2009 Domaine de la Margeee "Les Gamines" St. Georges d'Orques (15)

G/S/M aged for 12 months in old oak ....

In October we visited the Languedoc -- our “base” was Agde, a town with 2,600 years worth of history where the River Hérault and the Canal du Midi meet the Mediterranean. From the 5th century BC, the Phocaeans developed this town into a trading station between Marseille and Spain, which expanded in the fullness of time.

Our first event official event was a lunch hosted by the Syndicat Minevois, were we were welcomed by the elegant Christine Molines of the CIVL and Stephane Roux of the Minevois. Christine and Stephane chose a rose and red wine from Minevois for our al fresco lunch, calling attention to its balance, elegance, and the fact it can be purchased in the UK for under eight euros. Afterwards, we walked a short distance along the canal to a room where Christine, Stephane, and Stephanie Egenolf of Sud de France gave presentations about Minevois and the Languedoc in general. Perhaps the most impressive takeaway points from the presentation was the continuing improvement of wine from the region, and its quality for price – especially in terms of competing countries.

The evening was filled with a presentation in the tasting room of the Gerard Bertrand winery, where energetic young winemaker Jean-Baptiste led a tutored tasting of the company’s many wines. Gérard Bertrand owns five estates in the best wine regions of the Languedoc. With the purchase of a fourth estate, Château l’Hospitalet in 2002, the Company took on a new dimension. becoming the Group’s head office and a place dedicated to Mediterranean lifestyle and wine-growing culture. Afterward, we had a group dinner in the elegant restaurant of the Bertrand winery.
Wednesday saw us set out early for a tasting of wines from the AOP Languedoc, where energetic Jean-Philippe Granier, head of communications, introduced us to several winemakers who each presented three styles of wine from their region. Lunch followed with the winemakers and their wines.

After lunch, we met an amazing woman, Diane Losfelt, whose family bought the Chateau de L'Engarran estate in 1923. Diane is the fifth generation and the winemaker, and was incredibly passionate about the estate, its tremendous history, and the wines. Her assistant Emily gave us a tour of the pleasure gardens before Diane took us into the winery and then the tasting room where we tried the various wines, most offered at a very reasonable price point (under ten euros) and of excellent quality. The magic followed with a visit to Bergerie du Capucin, where we were greeted by owner/winemaker Guilhem Viau and shown his dramatic vineyard, which was filled with stones. Winemaker/owner Fabien Reboul from Chateau de Valflaunes in Pic Saint Loup showed us his field as well, with the rugged terroir varied at every turn and mountains literally jutting out of the slopping earth. Dinner followed at the Maison des Vins, where we enjoyed the various wines from winemakers in ther region.

Thursay took place in Limoux, where the Syndicat de Limoux gave us a very structured presentation on the wines of the region, careful to distinguish the Blanquette de Limoux from Crémant de Limoux and also the Blanquette Méthode Ancestrale, which started here in the year 1531. Lunch followed the presentation at a restaurant where we could taste more Blanquette de Limoux, along with some whites and reds.

Afterward, we arrived at Domaine Rives-Blanques for a visit and tasting. Owner Caryn Panman and her pampered dog Bruno (also a Decanter magazine star!) met us in the field and took us on a tour of the extraordinary vineyards. Rives-Blanques lies in a nature reserve designated by the European progamme Natura 2000, because of the unique habitat for flora and fauna provided by this meeting ground of Atlantic and Mediterranean influences. We toured the winery, and then tasted the many award winning sparklling and still wines.

The last visit of a very busy day was at the winery of affable Pierre Borie, owner of Chateau Les Ollieux in Montseret. Pierre is a lively, funny guy who makes fabulous wines, mostly various blends of syrah, grenache, mouvedre, and some carignan. We saw his winery, tasted wines from his tanks, and then gathered in the tasting room for a complete tasting of all the wines in his range. After the tasting, some of us went in search of the braying donkey before our departure for the restaurant Le Petite Comptoir, where Pierre shared more entertaining stories.

Friday began with a structured presentation and tasting of St Chinian and Faugeres, areas of quality red wines, and lunch in Pezenas at L’entre Pots. After a walk through Pezenas, we visited Château Saint Martin de la Garrigue. This gorgeous estate lies in the heart of Languedoc, between Beziers and Montpellier, facing the Mediterranean. The Renaissance Château Domaine is surrounded by alternating vineyards, scrubland, pine forests and olive groves and the wines were well balanced and again, of great quality for the price. Jean-Claude Zabalia took us around and led a fabulous tasting.

The final visit of the day was with the Syndicat de Pinet, where we learned all there was to know about Picpoul de Pinet and that the region was once famous for its gin factory. We tasted over a dozen impressive styles of this wine before enjoying yet more Picpoul at La Ferme Marine, a restaurant right by the sea featuring a shellfish buffet. Picpoul de Pinet is fabulous with seafood.

Overall, the trip was expertly organized and presented a rare opportunity to discover the various appelations in the region. Each and every producer we met was enthusiastic, positive, passionate, and very excited to present his or her wines. Producers were universally supportive of their colleagues in the region, and all showed genuine interest in working together to promote the region as a whole. And thankfully, the wines were representative of their specific regions, partially due to the very strict laws of each appellation. Voila!

One of the hallmarks of a good sommelier is the ability to match customers with the right wine, as well as match wine to the correct dish. Only a floor sommelier can tell you which is easier, yet one of the things I like best about Aldo Sohm, head sommelier at Le Bernardin who was named Best Sommelier in the World 2008, is that he is very good at both.

At Le Bernardin recently, I selected a wine -- yet when he approached, he said he knew I was coming from the guest list and had selected a new wine for me to try. The Minervois is an upcoming quality region in the Languedoc, and though young (2008) it was quite delicious with flavors of boysenberry, raspberry, and curious flavors of mocha and chocolate. It was a young wine with elegant flavors and a good pairing for braised meats.

Anne Gros and Jean Paul Tollot, two veteran winemakers from Burgundy,  choose Minevois for ite diversity of soil types (limestone, clay, sandstone) as well as for the wide age range of the vines. The vinyards lie at around 220 meters above sea level, the same altitude as Anne's estate in Vosne-Romanee.

This cuvee of grenache, syrah, carignan, and cinsault (replacing the traditional grape of mouvedre) comes from soils dominated by Assignan sanstone, facing north and west. The small plots are surrounded by scrubland, with pines:, thyme, and rosemary. I hope to visit them in the Languedoc this summer!

This is a fabulous restaurant, especially when the weather is great and one can sit outdoors. Arrived just when it opened and thought the menu quite good and creative. I will find the pictures and load them, here is a link to the web site.

Like most top restaurants in the region, this restaurant is in the middle of nowhere (the village is charming, yet it is a remote village and it is quite a drive). The village is charming, and tiny and in contrast to its ancient crumbling walls of historical structures are the vibrant teenagers who flirt with one another and skateboard near the abbye. 

It made me curious to as to whether teenagers were engaging in the same behavior under the same tree near the same wall three hundred years ago.

Now here it is described on the web site:  "In the shaded square of a quiet little village in the Haut-Var, this beautiful home adjacent to a 12th century abbey invites you to sample all the pleasures of a true gourmet experience. From the vegetable garden of the Hostellerie to the depths of the Mediterranean Sea, chef Benoît Witz passionately draws into the regions bounties. Sunny and original, the menu evolves with the seasons, displaying the depth and richness of his talent: Courgette flower and crispy bacon risotto, pressed duck and foie gras... "

I agree with all this, despite the flowery language. The settign is magical and I have to admit that now, six months later, I can't quite recall the food yet remember is was quite good, up to yet not exceeding expectations as all the cuisine in the region is so spectacular.

Hôtelier: Alain Ducasse
Manager: Sebastion Pilat
10, Place du Général de Gaulle
Celle en Provence, La, 83170 France

Tel. +33 (0)4 98 05 14 14
Fax. +33 (0)4 98 05 14 15
contact@abbaye-celle.com

Chef : Benoît Witz

Maitre D : Eric Adam

Sommelier : Cédric Vernice
 

Social media is all the rage today, even in the Languedoc where the Sud de France launched a worldwide synchronized wine tasting that took place today June 21 2010 in NYC, Montpellier, and other countries around the world.

It was fun to speak with the winemakers via the television screen as we tasted the wine, which was well made and delicious.

Below are the wines and some brief notes

- Sparkling : Sieur d’Arques, AOC/AOP Crémant de Limoux, Grande Cuvée 1531
Wow, what a fabulous sparkling wine! The blend changes but it is mostly Chardonnay this vintage

- White : Cigalus, VDP/IGP Pays d’OC, cuvée 2008

Lovely perfumed notes on this blend, a very elegant wine (again, mostly chardonnay) that is almost succulent.

- Rosé : Fruité Catalan, AOC/AOP Côtes du Roussillon

Fun and fruity, it is a gorgeous pink color and great for rooftop parties this summer

- Red : Dromadaire 30670, VDP/IGP Pays d’OC, cuvée 2006

Delicious and substantial enough for grilled steak at a cookout.

- Sweet Wine : Mas de Madame, AOC/AOP Muscat de Frontignan, cuvée 2006

Very light and delicate ... a delicious party kick-off or refreshing dessert wine

... Now I am sure you'll agree that there is something slightly decadent about savoring wine aboard the open top of a double deckered bus (painted like big yellow taxi with red baloons) at the start of a warm Manhattan summer. Yet well over a dozen journalists did just that on May 4th to celebrate the start of the Sude de France Festival.

The fun started earlier, with smiling PR girls and boys dressed in striped shirts and straw hats handing hats to guests at the Maison de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon and officials speaking about the summer festivities ahead which include free “open house” educational seminars and tastings of the region’s wines led by Sud de France spokesperson and wine expert Jamal Rayyis and other experts at the Maison de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon (10 East 53rd Street) on Tuesday, June 15 through Friday, June 18, from 6 to 9 PM each evening.

The first event will be a wine blending seminar, where guests will receive an expert-guided tasting and lesson in blending the characteristic grape varieties of the region with pipettes to create their own special cuvée of Languedoc-Roussillon wine. You will definetely see me  there -- I spent three weeks in the region last summer and would love to have the chance to play winemaker.

Once we boarded the bus, musicians played and people all up and down fifth avenue starred and waived. Our first destination was Cafe Noir, a chic French spot where the patrons, mainly couples enjoying a warm pre-summer night, appeared rather surprised at what appeared to be "tourists" flooding into "their" cafe. After a few minutes (we were escorted to a private room) diners relaxed and smiled, realizing they had the lucky experience of being participants in an "event" and enjoyed the music and dancing that ensued.

Next on the list was Casimir, another quaint wine bar, and Fada ... with yet more wine, music, and dancing.

Below you will find some more highlights offered from Sud de France. I LOVE the wine from this region, and if you are looking for a place to visit this summer, it is incredibly gorgeous. 

More from Sud de France festivities in NYC:

In July, highlights include a winemaker brunch on the 11th at the brand new location of Le Pain Quotidien at Central Park and West 70th street, as well as special events surrounding Bastille Day. For wine professionals, there will be a sommelier contest to choose this year’s Sud de France Festival sommelier of the year on July 12th.

Throughout New York, the 59 wine retailers are organizing in-store tastings and educational sessions on the wines of Sud de France. Participating restaurants include Les Halles, the Tour de France restaurant group including Café d’Alsace, French Roast, Marseille, L’Express, Pigalle, Le Monde, and Maison and The Forgeois Group’s Cercle Rouge, Bar Tabac and Le Singe Vert. Participating bars include 8th Street Wine Cellar and Flûte. An exciting addition to this year’s Sud de France Festival is Le Pain Quotidien, which will exclusively feature organic wines of Languedoc-Roussillon (two red, two white and a rosé and sparkling wine) alongside the wines of founder and Languedoc-Roussillon resident Alain Coumont. During the Festival, Le Pain Quotidien will showcase a special Sud de France menu including gourmet ingredients from the region.

Sun-drenched and ripened to perfection, the wines of Languedoc-Roussillon are amongst the most diverse with red, white, rosé, sparkling and sweet wines for every occasion at every price point. The Sud de France program has a goal of expanding New Yorkers’ knowledge of this region, including the fact that Languedoc-Roussillon produces more wine and the largest amount of organic wines of any other wine region in the world. Complete information on the Sud de France Festival, including promotions and participating venues, dates, locations for cooking and pairing demonstrations, and information on the wines and cuisine of Languedoc-Roussillon can be found on: www.festival-suddefrance.com/ny

ABOUT SUD DE FRANCE
The Sud de France Festival is an international campaign conducted by Sud de France Export, an agency which promotes the wines, culinary products, and industries of the French region of Languedoc-Roussillon in the world. The Festivals are conducted in Shanghai, London, Brazil, New York and Mexico. The Maison de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon is the Midtown Manhattan-based office of Sud de France Export, one of five in the world.

If you've been reading this online magazien for a while, you know wine from the Languedoc is my favorite. Last summer, I spent three weeks visiting producers all over the region. So today, I had to stop and try some wines. Sadly, the same volcano that cancelled my flight to the UK (where I had arranged several wine related events) also cancelled many of the producers.

What was available was terrific -- I spent some time talking to Matthieu Danglas, Maitre de Chai at Chateau de Paraza about his wines.  Picture below
 

Matthieu Danglas

In addition to the different wines a chef was engaged to present some typical dishes of the region, along with
cheese.
 

chef at work

The winemakers will return soon, and you will get an update!

... so many of you know that I spent a few fantastic weeks in the Languedoc this summer, guest of a gorgeous Chateau with access to some of the best restaurants in the world. Of course, the thing about the Languedoc is that it is so large. Wineries were sometimes two hours apart!

Happily, no need to go that far on August 31 when in anticipation of the Festival Sud de France in October, we had a celebratory kick off at the surprising 'Water Taxi Beach" in Long Island City. Some of you might know I am from L.A. and with the swimsuit wearing vollyball players (no, not our group) it seemed so Manhattan Beach!

Chef Cédric Tovar of Peacock Alley was there to prepare specialties from the South of France, and much Languedoc wine was to be had. During the upcoming festival, you will be able to enjoy a city-wide "tasting" of wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon region at restaurants and wine bars.  Salute!
 

Wait! This is the fantasy. If you really want to make good wine, prepare for 20-hour days – even if you are the owner. Perhaps ‘especially if you are the owner’ is a better phrase since your reputation – and that of your wine - is all you really have. Recently, I’ve had the good fortune to meet and spend some time with handsome, broad-shouldered Franck-Lin Dalle at his Chateau Du Campuget winery in the sun-kissed Costieres de Nimes area of southern France. I had first tasted Mr. Dalle’s wine this past spring in Manhattan, at a formal luncheon tasting with his distributor. Tasting notes reflect my favorable impressions of the rose and prestige Viognier, as well as the very elegant Syrah, both the slightly oaked Le Sommeliere and the top offering simply called “1753.”

So you can imagine my excitement when offered the opportunity to meet Mr. Dalle at his estate in Nimes and see how the vines are grown and the wine is produced. Geography is very important in this region which is largely referred to as the Languedoc-Roussillon as the terroir is extremely varied over this vast expanse of land extending from the Spanish border in the Southwest to nearly Marseilles. For those of us in the wine world, this region is viewed as an up and coming area where younger winemakers such as Mr. Dalle strive to make quality wine.

“Let us be clear on this one point,” says Mr. Dalle, when I ask if he considers his Chateau in the Languedoc Roussillon area. “We offer Rhone style wines. We have the same soil as the Rhone Valley, the same pebbles.” As an example, Mr. Dalle picks up one of the rock-sized ‘pebbles’ that are a signature of the world-famous vineyards in Chateauneuf du-Pape. By all accounts, this association with the Rhone Valley is correct, especially in terms of terroir.

The Languedoc-Roussillion area is as large as many small countries put together, and driving two hours to visit an ancient ruin or have lunch in a Michelin-starred restaurant is common practice. Furthermore, each AOC of the region has its own soil and thus its own characteristic style of wine.

Mr. Dalle’s mention of the Rhone soil and pebbles (washed into Nimes a million years ago during the ice age) is very important, since one of Chateau du Campuget’s most important wines is Syrah, a varietal that has its best expression in the Northern Rhone. The pebbles he mentions (galets roules) also have the added protective advantage of preventing the sub-soils from drying out in summer, and enabling vine-roots to plunge deep into the ground.

One morning, Mr. Dalle took me into the vineyard in his little car to see the Syrah vines. It was mid-June and even at seven in the morning, the sun was fierce overhead. “These vineyards are named for family members,” Mr. Dalle told me, helping me onto a concrete slab in the middle of the vineyard so I could see the expanse of vines all around me — quite an impressive sight.

Stepping down, Mr. Dalle took me into the vineyards and explained that Chateau du Campuget does not believe in green harvesting, a technique whereby unripe grapes are cut from the vines, so that the vines can focus its energy on the healthy ripening of the existing grapes. “We believe a vine is a living thing,” he tells me. “Our goal is to nurture the vine and bring it to its fullest expression.”

Toward that end, canopy management is extremely important to Mr. Dalle, and on the morning of my visit he showed me the tractor that drove through the vineyard, with the mission of making sure the canopy of the vines was trained at the correct level to allow the right mix of sun, shade, and air flow. You have probably heard of the Mistral, the wind that comes down from the Rhone valley and can blow quite hard, yet the upside is that it dries the vines after summer storms, preventing rot.

Franck-Lin Dalle is understandably proud of Chateau du Campuget’s terroir, and of the gorgeous property which his grandfather purchased in 1941after a physician urged him to move south after a WWII injury. Mr. Dalle’s grandfather had owned breweries and thus understood the basics of fermentation, while his botanist partner (and brother-in-law) knew how to grow healthy vines. Though the pair had never made wine before, they quickly mastered the process. Now, over a half century later, Mr. Dalle wants to kick it up a notch and produce wine that will make the world take notice. Already their Prestige Viognier is offered by the glass at the prestigious Café Boulud in Manhatan and other fine restaurants around the world. Japan, Belgium, and many EU countries as well as the U.S. are big markets.

After the vineyards, we visit the cellar – which in the way of many ancient wineries has epoxy fermentation tanks from a hundred years ago standing nearly side by side with shiny new stainless steel. Though this is not a formal tasting visit, I can’t resist the temptation to taste and contrast the difference between the subtly oaked Le Sommelier Syrah and the unoaked prestige 1753, with grapes taken and selected from the best vineyards. Mr. Dalle indulges me by finding two glasses, opening two barrels, and taking a sample of each into the glass. Both wines are elegant and well balanced, yet it takes real finesse to create a wine as graceful as 1753 without oak. It is almost like a woman with the right bone structure and/or underlying personality has no need for makeup to appear soignée at a cocktail party. And if the 1753 is that good fresh from the barrel, I think to myself, what would it be like with some bottle age? So far, I have just spoken about the wine of Chateau du Campuget, and not of the gorgeous, fairy tale estate which was first built in the 17th century and includes many buildings in addition to the main Chateau where Mr. Dalles was born and grew up. Now that his father has retired, he runs the winery on his own, with the help of a vineyard manager and other key employees. Though Mr. Dalle lives on the property with his elegant wife Sandra and two adorable young daughters, the main Chateau in which he grew up is vacant. “I want to see this place full of life,” Mr. Dalle tells me, saying he has many ideas, including turning it into an exclusive bed and breakfast, or even a little restaurant.

If Mr. Dalle moves forward with these plans, guests will be the lucky ones. The expansive property offers a pool, pink and purple flowering trees, and even roaming peacocks with their vibrant plumes. Chateau du Campuget is a way of life, not merely a winery. In addition to the high quality of the wine, my strongest impressions was the hospitality of the entire Dalle family and Mr. Dalle’s passion for fulfilling his grandfather’s dream of making Chateau du Campuget a globally known brand through a combination of the latest technology and genuine husbandry of the vine.

“After my visit to Miami, I think I am going to start producing wines in a Magnum,” jokes handsome French wine representative, Francois Pages of Chateau du Campuget. “Everywhere I went, people seemed so oversized and built-up, like superheroes!”

Yes, in Miami everything seems slightly larger than life. Yet here we are, at a French café in midtown Manhattan and the world seems smaller and much more intimate. And though it is spring – the traditional start of the rosé wine drinking season – the weather is freezing. Yet as Francois pours me a glass, I try to pretend I am at Club 55 in St. Tropez, watching celebrities like P. Diddy scamper in the cool blue waves.

“Quite nice,” I pronounce the wine, which is a gorgeous baby pink rose color, and is scented with raspberries and strawberries. One the palate, the wine is pleasantly assertive in a way that belies its pretty color and can pair with much more robust cuisine than a typical rosé with its rich berry flavors and charmingly bitter finish, somewhat akin to Campari liqueur or a fresh pomegranate seed. I am not surprised when Francois tells me this is his best selling wine.

If you are new to rosé, or if you have not had a glass in a while, this is an appropriate time to explain that in America, we have two basic types of rosé: dry and sweet. In Europe and other regions, rosé was traditionally only dry. So if you have had sweet pink wine and have yet to experience the pleasures of dry, Chateau du Campuget traditional rosé is a great place to start.

I also try Francoise’s traditional white – very good, but the white that stands out for me is the Viognier de Campuget. If you are a wine geek, you probably already know that the Viognier grape receives its finest expression in the northern Rhone, though it is also very popular in Austria. Both are relatively cool regions, unlike the hot Costieres de Nimes at the most southern area of the Rhone valley. When tasting wine blind, I have been fooled by a Viognier from a hot region because the fruit is so ripe. Imagine how a sun-warmed peach would taste and you have an idea of the ripe, rich, intoxicating flavors of this wine.

All things considered, I am a red wine drinker and really enjoyed the Traditional Rouge (made from the area’s key grapes, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Carménère). The Traditional red is pleasant and surprisingly unoaked – it is aged in stainless steel tanks. Yet it tastes so rich I ask Francois about it. In his typical French way (well, actually, virtually all French people wax philosophic like this in my experience) Francoise tells a colorful story about how a beautiful girl doesn’t need to really pack on the make-up to be attractive. In other words, when it comes to his wine, simplicity is best. No need to gild the lily. More complex than the Traditional are Prestige Rouge, which sees some oak aging, and the Chateau de Compugent “1753” which is intended to be cellar aged, both excellent.

Today “value” is the word on everyone’s lips. Starting at under $10, Chateau de Campuget’s wines are delicious, well crafted, and affordable. It may still be cold outside, yet when you sip this winery’s rosé, you will feel the warmth of a quaint French summer.