Formerly a part of Catalonia (the province of Roussillon used to be part of the Government of the Counts of Roussillon and Cerdagne) and located on the Spanish border, the plain of Roussillon existed from 1659 until the creation of the Eastern Pyrenees department in 1790). It thus retains a distinctive character (despite its annexation to Languedoc), rooted in its landscapes, its ethic roots and its wine styles.
The specialty of Roussillon was traditionally a great variety of natural sweet wines, in which the juice of barely fermented sweet grapes is stabilized by a good dose of grape marc (a technique that was discovered long before the distillation of stronger substances). Classified as the only “Grand Cru” in France, the Banyuls is the most venerated out of these natural wines. It is made from Grenache grown on rocky terraced vineyards, just North of the Spanish border. Producers of natural sweet wine use all kinds of methods to trap the sun of their region into their wines. Some leave the young wine in large glasses or barrels and let it cook in the sun, while others use a complex regime of movement between barrels of different sizes and ages. Most leave the wine to cook for some time under the rafters for at least one summer. The result is wines that can vary from light red to deep brown, often with a very grapy flavor and sometimes having an almost rancid, hazelnut taste called “rancio”. Banyuls “Grand Cru” wines must be raised in wood for more than two and a half years, but certain wine facilities choose to extend aging for many years in order to produce unique and balanced wines, recommended by many notorious palates as ideal partners for chocolate.
Roussillon is one of the most beautiful regions of France, a region that pays tribute to some villages that are part of the best rural villages in France, mostly because of their rich heritage.This cultural richness is clearly manifested in the pastel shuttered houses, the pretty squares and the winding streets that you will cross.Not to forget the surrounding countryside, which will also offer spectacular views and scenic walks…
