Languedoc and Roussillon | Giorgio Fogliani

Under the blazing sun of the Midi, far away from the more famous and prestigious regions of France, Languedoc and Roussillon have finally shaken off a bad reputation that labeled them as reservoirs of strong and rough red wines.

After centuries of Occitan and Catalan culture, and a challenging 20th century marked by labor struggles, vineyard conversions, uprooting policies, and winemakers coming from all over the world, the area between Montpellier and Perpignan is now one of the most dynamic in the country. It boasts historic appellations like Faugères and Banyuls, as well as newer but promising ones like Terrasses-du-Larzac and Pic-Saint-Loup. Planted in ancient schist and luminous limestone soils, talented grape varieties such as grenache, carignan, and cinsault, blended in various ways, give rise to original wines with strong Mediterranean influences.

With over 200 wines reviewed, detailed profiles of 30 AoP appellations, and photos by Mauro Fermariello, Giorgio Fogliani encourages us to update our wine knowledge, discovering the elegant reds from the Agly Valley, the dazzling whites from Calce, or the fascinating oxidative wines in a rancio style.

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