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Languedoc-Rousillon
the joys of
Pays d'Oc Tom Surgey reveals why we all need a little Pays d'Oc in our lives.
ist, and by-and-large, we oblige. We get het-up on the prescribed varieties and the typical characteristics of the grapes permitted.
hen did you first feel as though you ?got?wine? For me, zen-like enlightenment arrived when I finally understood the appellation system, I saw how the wine world fits together.
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The appellation system is the backbone of how we order and navigate the wine world; geographically defined regions within winemaking countries, set-down in national law. Think Burgundy, Bordeaux, and ever smaller areas within them, single-vinyeards like Meursault or Saint Julien, each clearly delineated from neighbouring areas due to ?terroir ?. Over centuries, we establish hierarchies of quality between appellations that largely define the price and value of wines made within them. The appellation system requires our shared belief to ex-
Appellations make wine more controllable, learnable, and marketable. It would be a bit embarrassing if they were thrown into any kind of doubt, wouldn't it? Well, let me do just that. There are rare examples of geographically defined winemaking regions that sit outside the appellation system. They remain unbridled, entirely unconstrained by the politics and formality of these ?proper ?appellations. Poohpoohed by the traditionalists. They often cover an identical area to traditional appellations, sometimes straddling boundaries and encompassing multiple appellations within them. Crucially, they offer winemakers an alternative classification to label their wines. They offer more creativity, more grape varietals, and more winemaking techniques. One such denomination is Pays d?Oc.
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Pays d?Oc sits over the entire area of Languedoc-Roussillon. A diverse, sprawling area encompassing sun-drenched inland plains, craggy mountains, and Mediterranean coastlines. There are lush bits, dry bits, and windy bits. There are castles to stay in, French holiday makers and some of France?s best regional foods. Think olive oils, cuttlefish, oysters, anchovies, charcuterie, loads of goats cheeses (Pélardon), great hunks of pork and beef on the grill. It is a breathtakingly beautiful, properly rural French idyl. Pays d?Oc is technically an IGP (a lower-tier classification in French wine law.) IGPs insist on wines made under their classification being from vines grown within the defined area and made in a winery within the area, otherwise, they?re pretty relaxed. There are currently 58 permitted grape varieties, giving winemakers the opportunity to explore new styles and the dynamism to keep up with a fastchanging climate. It is this openness to new varieties and
