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Varietal: Red Blend
Includes red wines where there is either no predominant variety or the blend is proprietary.
Country: France
A country viewed by many as the home of fine wine, it is almost unique in terms of how embedded food and wine is in the nations culture. Given the diverse geography, with so much of the country providing the climate and soil suitable for viticulture, it is no surprise that its produces such an extensive and varied selection of wines. It is the country from where the vast majority of the New World's most popular "international" grapes and stylistic influences originate. While there might seem to be an alarming disparity between the most sought after wines (were a case might set you back as much as a deposit on a small house) and the millions of gallons of vin de table filling up the European wine lake every year, there is so much great value to be found between the two extremes. Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, and the Rhone may still dominate the market for fine wine, but regions including the Loire, Alsace, Languedoc & Roussillon and the South West are increasingly becoming excellent sources of good quality, affordable wines.
Region: Languedoc and Roussillon
The Languedoc and Roussillon are two adjoining but distinctly separate wine regions in southern France. The Languedoc consists of two main regions: The Aude, home to the sub-regions of Limoux, Corbieres, Fitou, Minervois, and the Herault, which includes Picpoul de Pinet and the vin doux naturels producing regions of Banyuls, Frontignan, Lunel and Mireval.
Sub-Region: Cotes du Roussillon
Type: Red
Red wine is wine made from dark-coloured grape varieties. The color of red differs based on the grapes variety or varieties used.
Interestingly, black grapes yield a juice that is greenish-white. The actual red color comes from anthocyan pigments (also called anthocyanins) from the skin of the grape (exceptions are the relatively uncommon teinturier varieties, which produce a red colored juice). Most of the production centers around the extraction of color and flavor from the grape skin.