Tour Languedoc-Roussillon, France - The World's Largest Wine Region!

Welcome to Languedoc-Roussillon. This may be the most underrated French wine region around. It's the largest wine region in France. It's the oldest wine region in France. And you're not going to believe this. It produces more wine than any other region in the world. And yet so many have never even heard of it. But I'm here to change that. Because what was once a hub for unmemorable, mass-produced wine is now an area that attracts investment and talented winemakers all looking for one thing. Freedom. Languedoc-Roussillon is a hub for innovation, experimentation, and creativity that's hard to come by in the rest of France. Oh, and it looks beautiful too. Welcome to Languedoc-Roussillon. And welcome to V is for Vino. While we flew into the largest city of the area, Montpellier, I've opted to make our home base in Narbonne, which is a little more quaint. It's an old Roman port town and was the first Roman colony established in France way back in 118 BC. And here we are, Narbonne, one of the half-dozen or so mid-sized cities located in Languedoc-Roussillon. You'll find that this city, as well as most of this region, isn't quite the major tourist hub the way its neighbor to the east, Provence, is. While Provence may have cachet, Languedoc-Roussillon has authenticity. You get everything this part of the country is known for, large open beaches, lots of sunshine, lifestyle, wildlife and birds, great food and wine, all without the hassle of touristy crowds. Pretty. Good. Deal. The history of vine planting in this area is rich, starting with the Greeks in 5th century BC. But it was the Romans who really expanded vine growing. They built a cobblestone road in 122 BC called Via Domitia that connected what is now known as France to Spain and Italy. Add to this that another Roman road, Via Acatania, went from Bordeaux through Toulouse into Narbonne, and that the city also has a port, and you can see why this was such a crucial Roman trading hub. Vines were planted along both sides of these roads, and wine from Languedoc-Roussillon was transported all over the Roman Empire using both land and sea. The city was known as the first daughter of Roma, and the capital of the region they called What I'm walking on now is a portion of the Via Domitia that was uncovered here in Narbonne. Wild to think that the ancient Romans walked along this very same path. Do as the Romans do, am I right? Since those days of wine transportation via cobblestone roads, wine production in Languedoc-Roussillon has come a long way. So much so that over a third, that's one in every three bottles of French wine, is produced here. Even crazier, this area is the largest wine-producing area in France, with three times as much vineyard land as Bordeaux. In fact, it's the single largest wine-producing region in the world. So why haven't you heard more about it? Well, because for most of the 20th century, the region was known for undistinguished, characterless wine that sold for cheaper than water. It wasn't until the 1980s when the region began to turn its reputation around. Up until this point, most wine from this area was made in the lower two levels of the French wine classification hierarchy, Vend de France or IGP. But the region restructured and created AOC guidelines based on location, soil makeup, yields, winemaking methods, and grapes used. Today, you'll mostly see two types of wine coming from the area. The majority of wine is still made under IGPs, Pays d'Oc being the largest, and is also where most of the experimentation takes place in Languedoc-Roussillon. Many of these wines are labeled by the grape variety instead of the place, one of the only areas in France where this is commonly done. The grapes can come from almost anywhere in the region, and many are great bang for the buck. But you now also have many AOC wines being produced, which is the top tier of French wine. Quality is more tightly controlled, the wines represent specific terroir, and they range from solid affordable weeknight wines to magnificent, pricey showstoppers for special occasions. The region itself stretches in a semicircle facing the Mediterranean Sea, from the Spanish border and the Pyrenees Mountains to Nîmes and the base of the Rhône Valley. This region gets tons of sunshine each year, cool ocean breezes to keep the vineyard dry, and soils ranging from alluvial near the coast to chalk, gravel, limestone, and riverstone more inland. Quite frankly, you couldn't ask for more dependable wine growing conditions. In fact, grapes grow so easily here that many of the best winemakers keep their yields low in order to bring more concentration and character to the fruit. Now we've been calling this region Languedoc-Roussillon, which is how you'll see it described in most wine textbooks. However, you may also see the term Sud de France, or South of France. This change happened in 2006, when the Languedoc-Roussillon board decided to rebrand and add to their umbrella some appellations near the Rhône and southwest France. But in 2023, the federal government ruled to ban the term Sud de France on wine labels starting in 2025, leaving a big question mark on that branding. Plus, there's even a third contender, Wines of Occitanie, which includes Languedoc-Roussillon as well as southwest France. Confusing I know, but what I'm trying to say is that you'll likely see these other terms out there, but just know they're all more or less referring to the same place, Languedoc-Roussillon. All right, so one of the hosts at our hotel told us that this little town near us has some of the best bread they've ever had in their life, and that's coming from a French person. And as someone who has been known to pack bread in their suitcase and fly it across the country, you had me at bread. So I had to find it. But these small little towns, the problem is that they're all windy roads and there's no street names, and so we're just on a mission, I guess. I think it's coming up around the corner. Maybe? Bonjour. I think it curves this way, and then we get there. Kitty! Oh. Rio, I see bread. I found it. Let's do one of each, please. Can we do a half of each of those? We could try them? You can see the insides. Ah, looks so good. Yeah, yeah. More dense. Yeah. I'm so excited, I can't even tell you. You're being very kind. All right, here we go. Here is what you get when you get really good bread. That crust. Oh my God, it smells amazing. Listen to that. Like that crust that you get on the outside of good bread. It's so good. And even though you get the crust on the outside, it's so moist on the inside. You know, it's not dry at all. Every trip that I come to France, I eat bread at every single meal of the day. This is your classic sourdough. It's kind of light. This is more dense. It has almost like that funky yeasty character a little more. Yeah, it's good too. Upon a 20-minute drive from Narbonne is the Mediterranean Sea. And on the edge of that sea, L'Hospitalet Beach, a restaurant owned by winery Gerard Bertrand. And waiting for me at that restaurant, the man himself, Gerard Bertrand. Gerard used to be a professional rugby player, but has now created one of the world's most dynamic wineries, which has 17 estates throughout Languedoc-Roussillon, all of which are certified biodynamic. And like the region itself, the winery is diverse. Dozens of wines in all different styles and price points. Him and his wines are the perfect lens to explore the region through. How do you go from rugby to wine? My father was involved in the wine industry. And I share my time between wine and rugby, rugby and wine. Because even if I play at the top level, I had enough time. And because my father passed away when I was only 22, I had to manage my rugby career and the family estate at the same time. It was tough. And then when I stopped to play, when I turned 30, I started to develop the south of France estates. And we moved from one estate to 17 now in the region. Red cherry fruit, good minerality still though. That beautiful freshness that we look for from rosé, but some creaminess, some length that maybe you don't always get. Oh yeah, in the bottom you have the flower. I would rather have this than a bunch of roses. But there has been a shift in the last, what, 20 years I mean, now we can compete with all the best regions in the world. And the chance of the south of France is that we have diversity of terroir, diversity of climate, diversity of grape varieties. Course one was seared tuna on fresh vegetables picked from their own garden in citrus topped with basil and sesame sauce. This was a great match with our rosé, whose acidity cut through the creamy sauce matched the acidic citrus and the medium-bodied rosé stood up to the medium-bodied dish. The name of the wine is Orange Gold, you know, to celebrate the sunset. It was important for me to create an orange wine and to pay a tribute for people from Georgia because they were the first to make it 8,000 years ago. Different kind of orange wine, more accessible, with more fruit, more complexity and less tannin. You know, right now orange wine is very popular, it's very trendy. I think a lot of people don't know that it's one of the oldest winemaking styles on the planet. The notes on this is unbelievable. So you get this beautiful flower honeyed component. The complexity of a red and the freshness of a white in the same wine. You notice a light bitterness and we have a quality of tannin. Very good tannin. What's fun about these wines, they bridge that gap between white and red where you get some savory notes. This isn't all fruit and mineral, there's some white pepper. If they've never had an orange wine, it's going to blow their mind. This is a six grape blend. There's some regions in the world where they're only allowed to have two grapes, period. Here you can pick from dozens of grapes. You have all these different styles. There's a lot of freedom here. Yeah, you know, freedom, you know, I think it's important. I can sing a song. The French and the Americans, that's one thing we have in common, we both like freedom. To pair was crispy prawns with basil aioli. Crunchy and delicious. The acid in the orange wine matched the salty fried shrimp and cut through the creamy aioli. The medium bodied wine matched the heaviness of the prawns. And from a flavor standpoint, the savory shrimp and basil paired with some of the peppery, savory flavors of the wine, while the fruity floral notes contrasted the dish. These orange wines are seriously fun to have in your pairing arsenal. This is Chateau Hospitalier White. So this wine, like all your estates, is biodynamic, which isn't a small feat. Why was that important to you? You know, it was important for me because when I was 22, I had a liver issue and nobody could fix it. For a Frenchman, it's difficult, but for a winemaker, it's a tragedy. I used myself homeopathy pills for 35 years. This medicine changed my life. And biodynamic farming is like homeopathic medicine, but for the plants. After two years, I have seen the difference in the vineyard and in the cellar with more freshness, more minerality, for better potential of aging. Wow. Biodynamic farming is like a reborn in my career. It's that oxymoron of creamy and fresh, right? Yeah, it's on the edge. Yep, it's right splits the middle. Got great minerality. This has that sense of soil. And the good thing also with a blend of four grapes is that, you know, you can create really unique wine. And the combination between the complexity coming from the different grapes and also the minerality is coming from the limestone. The richness of what you might like from a good Burgundy, but it's got the freshness that I like from Southern Rhone blends. Some savory notes that I don't get from that. It really is very unique. We ended the meal with whole grilled turbo, ratatouille, and tropical relish. In addition to matching the weight of the dish, the right tropical fruit notes in the wine matched the relish, and this was a grows together, goes together match for sure. We finished lunch and left to head to the estate where this wine was grown. But first, let's chat about the grapes of Languedoc-Roussillon. Before we get started, know this. Languedoc-Roussillon is huge with all sorts of sub-regions, grape varieties, and wine styles. There's no way I can cover everything in the next three minutes. That's the bad news. The good news is that whatever wine you're into, you can find it here. And because this region is not as regulated as other French wine regions, it's one of the only places in France with true freedom for experimentation. If you add to that huge variations of climate and soils and the insane quantity of wine produced here, you end up with wine styles and price points and an endless well of new wines to choose from. Red wines represent a little more than half of the wines produced here, with the remainder being a mix between white, rosé, sparkling, and sweet. As far as grape varieties go, reds are fairly straightforward, compared to the whites anyway. They're usually blends of the traditional Rhone grapes of Grenache, Syrah, and Mouvedre, as well as Carignan and Saint-Saëns. Most of the reds are juicy, a little spicy, rustic, herbal, and medium to full-bodied. But this is by no means an exhaustive list. International grapes like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are also common, and so are some more obscure ones like Pequot Noir and Côte, the local name for Malbec. White wines are a cocktail of grapes. Grenache Blanc, Clarette, Bouboulanque, Pequot, Mosaic for sparkling, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Rousson, Marsan, Vermintino, Viognier, Muscat Blanc, or Petit Grands for sweet wines. The list goes on. And white wine styles heavily depend on the individual winemaker and the place. Languedoc and Roussillon used to be two separate areas, but are now considered part of the same region, even though Languedoc produces about 90% of the region's wine. There are over 30 appellations in this area, and a few are worth some special attention. Corbière and Minervois are two of the largest appellations known for their reds, and are the two AOCs you're most likely to find exported. The smaller appellations of are known for making a good blend of red, white, and rosé wines, and the reds are softer and ready to drink sooner than other areas. Limoux is known for its traditional method of sparkling wines. Blanquette de Limoux made from the local variety Mosaic, or Cremante de Limoux, which is primarily Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc. Both are tremendous alternatives to champagne. Pequot Dupiné has gained an international reputation for their dry, crisp whites from the Pequot grape, which are perfect summer sippers. Also, we can't talk about Languedoc-Roussillon without talking about Vendus Naturelles, which are sweet, fortified wines, usually white, from the Moscat family of grapes produced in a few different AOCs. These are either fresh and fruity —think stone fruit, honey, and flowers—or oxidative and nutty —think dried fruit and almonds. However, there's an AOC, Banyuls, that makes red Vendus Naturelles, from Grenache, and that has flavors of coffee, mocha, and tea, but it's surprisingly still light on its feet. These wines are super traditional, dating back to the 13th century, and are great dessert wines worthy of your time. Finally, there are a handful of Grand Cru in this region, which, in theory, are the creme de la creme of the area. If there's one grape that Languedoc-Roussillon can claim as their own, I'd say it's Carignan, though it likely originated in Spain. About two-thirds of the world's supply of this grape is actually grown here. For a while in the 1980s, Carignan was France's most planted grape, because, well, you can make a lot of it. A Carignan vine produces about four times the amount of grapes a Cabernet vine can. But when grown this way, it becomes overly bitter and flabby. However, when harvested at lower yields and sometimes from older vines, Carignan has great character. It's full of juicy red fruits like cranberry, raspberry, as well as meaty tobacco spice. It has medium bonny, medium tannins, and medium-plus-to-high acidity. And it's this combo of acidity, red fruit, and spice that winemakers look for from the grape to add to the blend. Hey, everybody. I hope you're enjoying the episode. I wanted to talk to you briefly about Vino VIP, which is our members-only club. You see, we're a small team, and we're completely independently produced, which means we can only keep making episodes with your support. So if the show has helped you, or helped you pass a wine exam, or if you're just enjoying it, please consider supporting the small business that provided it and join Vino VIP, which is full of a ton of benefits anyway. You get full episodes ad-free, and you also get early access to all our episodes, including our YouTube videos. Plus, you get members-only videos like behind-the-scenes and commentaries and full-length interviews in our members section on our website. Once a quarter, we do a Zoom session where we get to hang out and taste together and talk. We do raffles once a month for our members, and we do a big yearly raffle. Plus, if you're a Gold or Platinum member, you get your name in the credits of an episode, and all our members get access to our members-only Facebook group, which is a great community. Membership starts at just $5 a month, which is less than the price of a Starbucks coffee. Everybody thinks somebody else will step up and support, and their support won't matter, but I promise you, it does. So please consider joining if you have the means, and thank you so much to our existing Vino VIP members. Now, back to the episode. In order to get the full Bertrand experience, we stayed on property at Chateau L'Hospitalet, right up the road from the beach. You have everything here. You have restaurants, spa, hotel, pool... And the beach. You know, this is really an amazing place, Chateau L'Hospitalet, and we have also 2,000 acres of nature, 300 acres of vineyard, and now we moved the hotel to 5-star. It's a very good experience because people, they can enjoy three different restaurants, walk in the nature, in the vineyard. It's really a destination winery. It's also the expression of the South of France experience. You have a big jazz fest every year. Yes. I started with my wife Ingrid in 2004, because I am a jazz fan. Every year, you know, we do something bigger, and now we host 10,000 people, and we have dinners before. It's really the best week of the year. The wines from L'Hospitalet are located in Le Clap AOC, one of the elite Manguedoc crew. This region is known for reds, I think, more than anything else. These are two reds, and they're from here, right? They're from this estate. Yes. We are going to, side by side, to taste two different cuvées. This is Chateau L'Hospitalet Limited Edition. We will have Hospitalitas, and this is a single vineyard. So we'll taste first and talk later. Yes. I like your style. I like to make the interview. What do you think? Both good. Good or great? Everything's great. You know that. Listen, my job is great, so everything else is bonus. The first wine, which is the Art Collection, to me, fresher, in my opinion, and a little more fruit-driven, and from a structure standpoint, tannin structure lower. This one, higher tannin structure, more red fruit. From a color perspective, you can see a little more rim variation on this. I don't know if there's oak on it. Yeah, you know, I think I am going to hire you for staying there and doing the harvest with us, because you are very good. Excellent. Yeah, you know, the Limited Edition on the left is more or less 60% Syrah, 30% Conache, and 10% Morvedre. The second wine is 97% Syrah and 3% Morvedre. I fully agree with you. Hospitalitas is very strong structure, full body, and this wine is more smooth, maybe more elegant now, because you have more Grenache there. I'm not saying that I like that better, so don't take it that way. I think both have their place. I like how this one looks maybe in a couple more years. I like this one today. For me, both of them are great, but I do recommend to have the Limited Edition with lamb, and I do recommend to have this one, you know, with a steak, because the second wine is more spicy, you know, it's more structural, more complex, and the first one, it's more balanced. Two different wines coming from the same estate, the same terroir, but the taste profile is really different. That's the magic of the blend. That's why, you know, I like to make blend, because, you know, with the same grapes, very close to each other, you make two different wines. I always tell people, more complex wines, put it with simple food, and let the wine show off. This guy is more elegant. This guy needs your attention a bit more. Let's not distract it with the food. The art on the bottle, can you explain that? Yes. You know, this is a painting of Robert Combas, and Robert Combas is one of the most popular painters in France and in Europe. This is a painting dedicated for Dionysos, the god of wine. Both the bottles are from the Laclap Appellation, which is a cru, right? Yes. In Languedoc. It's a cru from Languedoc, yes. And the cru, is that a recent thing? Five years now. The cru were selected because distinct soil, distinct terroir, distinct... You know, it's a combination between the soil, grape variety, climate, and people. These cru wines were indeed a far cry from the bulk wine this region used to be known for, and I challenge anyone to put these side by side with the top wines from the Rhone or Bordeaux. Welcome to the market. I love a good market. Gerard's passion for wine doesn't end with him. His daughter Emma works as creative director for the brand. The next morning, before heading to another tasting, she took me to the Narbonne Market, because if you watch this show, you must know by now that every episode in France contains an obligatory market scene. Wow, look at these. I want to buy all these things. You have been elected as the best market in France. To me, best in France is best in the world, because I think France has the best markets anyway. And I used to go every Sunday with my father. Oh, nice. When I was 12. When you were growing up? Yeah. Our lunch spot happened to be owned by one of Gerard's old rugby buddies. Oh, that looks really good. Yeah. What is that, the tartare? And their specialty is steak tartare. It is the place to be. It's busy. Oh, don't forget to order for the crew. You like raw? You want tartare? What do you want, grilled or raw? Once your order's in, it's called out. And watch your head for flying meat. We had some grenache rosé to start, which they call their gris blanc. Very fresh, good acidity. And made some new friends. You ready for your close-up? You're going to be famous. Hey, cheers. Absolutely, cheers. I have to do your father's move. He listens to the wine. Is he doing that? Yeah, every time we'd cheers, he'd go and he'd listen to it. He goes, you have to hear the terroir. Like the sound of the sea. Yeah. In preparation for the beef, we switched wines. This is heresy. This is a red blend from Corbiere. Oh, this is good. Spicy. Spicy, juicy. Mmm, juicy. Perfect for this. Vegetarians look away. In fact, all of you look away because you're not getting any of this. A half pound of raw ground beef with a raw egg on top and french fries with mayo? This is one of those once-a-year meals that cuts deep into that caveman part of the brain. Comfort food at its most primal. Mix it, right? Yeah, you need to mix it. You need to mix everything. Peppers and onions and egg yolk. This is so much meat. Yeah, there's a lot of meat. It's like a pound. I'm not complaining. Oh, yeah. And with the wine, it's like perfect. Bon appétit. Hey, bon appétit. Thank you for taking me here. Emma lives in the Corbiere AOC near the Villa Mejou Estate, a place that means a lot to their family. Where we are right now, this was the first estate of Gérard Bertrand, correct? It was actually my grandfather's estate and he bought it in 1973 because he believed in the potential of the Corbiere area because of the soil and because of the carignan. Then that's where, as well, my father started doing the harvest and learning about wine when he was 10 years old. My grandfather has told him, Gérard, you're lucky because when you'll be 50, you will have 40 years of experience. My grandfather believed in the potential of the Corbiere area. He saw that the soil was special, the place was special, the energy was special as well, and especially too, there is the carignan which is very local to the Corbiere area. If there's a claim to fame to this region, I think carignan is kind of the grape that is used very, very often in almost all the blends. In the Corbiere, yes, and we have 100 years old carignan here. So this is the carignan you were talking about? Yes, this is La Forge. My grandfather's favorite is Barcel. First of all, you can see how old they are. A lot of Americans are familiar with Old Vine Zinfandel and they have a little bit of that character, like you can see the age on them. What else is interesting is how rocky the soil is. It's a very dry terroir with very low yields and it's a terroir made from galets roulés and limestone. So limestone and then the stones, and what that does probably well-draining soils, I would imagine. And then the other thing I've noticed is that it is super windy here. Always. It's always windy here. I'm living here, so I tell you. There is wind all the time, but it's good too, because when it rains a lot it helps dry as well and we don't have any disease on the vines. You know, when you practice biodynamics, that means you can't use pesticides, and so it's nice that you can keep that from just the wind and the breeze and basically keeping it nice and fresh. We head inside to taste two wines that help continue this family story. So, the cool fact is the building is like orange terracotta and it's because we use the soil to paint the building. So it perfectly matches the environment and the nature and it represents the soil. Part of the estate, quite literally. Yes. Both these wines are from this estate, but they both have different significance, right? So they are both important and very special to my heart, because we have La Forge that was my grandfather's favorite plot, and it's a hundred years old carignan. And this is the plot that has been planted by my great-grandmother in 1920. So you can imagine that at that time, women were not very much involved in wine, so it was something very special, too. Wow. Wildly different colors. And then which one has more oak? The Cuvée 100 has 18 months. And you can see that because you can see on the color, too, that's a little more transparent. You can see the oxygen coming in. Absolutely. Evolved color with some reflection, a little orange, you know, and brown. The fun thing about carignan is it's kind of a down-the-middle wine. Medium body, medium acid, medium tannin. And so it gives you such a nice space to then do what you want. Because the carignan brings the freshness and the fruitiness and the explosion of fruit. And the Syrah brings, as well, all of the spices and the more toasty notes, as well, when it will evolve in the time. The Syrah-based one has almost a serious character to it. The Grenache-based one is just this bright, fun wine. Garigue, that green herbal. Both have this great core of red fruit and spice, but they have completely different characters. You know, that's fun because I think they both represent pretty well my grandfather and my great-grandmother. My grandfather was a very serious man, a very deep and intense person. And my great-grandmother was very generous with her children and very round, in a way. Most of the wines, they have these great spice notes, whether it's an herbal spice, or it's a pepper spice, or it's a tobacco spice. All of them seem to have that. To me, when wine is pure fruit, that's kind of boring. I like that extra. I know this estate is important to you, and these wines are important to you, so I'm honored to sit down and taste them. Thank you for coming. It's my pleasure. Talking to Gerard off-camera, he told me how proud he was of Emma. She travels with him to markets across the world to help promote the wine, and has her learn every aspect of the winery. Because behind every family business, there's a family keeping it afloat. Did you know that on our website, each episode has a page where you can find listed all the wines we had, as well as the places we visited. And while you're there, you can join Vino VIP and visit our Members Only section with a ton of behind-the-scenes videos and bonus content. Just thought I'd let you know. Alright, it's a windy day in Carcassonne. Carcassonne is the classic medieval castle town. Four million tourists per year. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is what you think of when you think of a medieval castle. It has the turrets, it's got the cobblestones, it's got the towers, and it's got the kind of windy streets. Obviously there's no cars in here. It's super busy, super crowded. It's worth your time, regardless of what this is. Because there's a dish here that you have to get when you come to this part of France. And we're going to the place that apparently makes the best version of this dish. So that's where we're going. The place? Compte Roger. And the dish? Cassoulet. Would I like some? Oui, s'il vous plaît. Cassoulet is a traditional peasant stew of white beans, cured meats, and sausage with garlic and herbs. Compte Roger uses all local ingredients. Duck leg, pork sausage, pork fat, and white beans. They marry everything together for 48 hours and broil it to finish for a glorious crust. A little vinegar and black pepper to serve. Alright, now I give you a hug. That's it. Isn't that crisp? The flavor of good beans. They're not mushy. They still have texture. They take up all the liquid that's around them. Alright, let's get in on the duck, which I'm most excited for. Look at the duck. Shreds, falls apart. Crispy duck skin. Maybe one of life's top five pleasures for me. And you put a little vinegar too. The acid brightens it up a bit. A little sausage. It's perfect. It's the consistency between like a stew and a soup. And then with the wine, juicy, spicy, medium plus body, matches really well. Cool thing about this wine, it is from the hills overlooking the city. So this is Castellum. And you can see it says Sitte Carcassonne right on the label. So you can see this place from these vineyards. It grows together, goes together, quite literally. I didn't tell the crew this yet, but this is all for me. I'm going to put them at the table over there. Back at Hospitaller, I met again with Gerard to learn more about the vineyard practices they employ. So we talked a little at lunch about biodynamics and how important it is to you. What do you do in the vineyard to do that? First thing is important is to find the connection between mankind and nature. When you see the beauty of the place here, it's important to capture this essence. And then, of course, when we have stopped to use chemical products, it was the beginning of the change. And to go further, biodynamic preparation. We use, you know, silica, also some nettles, some chamomile to spray these ingredients into the water. You send an information to the vineyard from the pruning to the harvest. You reinforce the vines and you develop, you know, the energy into the system. And also you take care about the soil and the subsoil. It's a full ecosystem and it's a connection between the cosmos and the soil. And in between, you have the vineyard. We have to respect the moon calendar and the astral calendar. That means sometimes we have a window of two or three hours early in the morning to spray some ingredients. What is your philosophy in the cellar? We are minimalist. We just control the fermentation process and the temperature during the fermentation process. And for blending, we use also the lunar calendar in order to do it during fruit or flower days because the taste is different. The most important word in the wine industry is balance. When you find the balance in the vineyard, you can be sure that you will find the perfect balance during the blending session and then you will deliver harmony. I know it's coming. People saying, Vince, you can't possibly believe in all this hippie stuff. A few years ago, you might have been right. I used to laugh at people who spent double the price to buy organic blueberries. But as I've gotten older, I've started to be more judicious about what I put in my body. I've seen cancer rates and ailments skyrocket during my lifetime and affect too many people that I love. So my general thought on all this is that it can't possibly hurt to simultaneously take care of the planet and provide a cleaner product to your consumers. And more than likely, it makes a difference. In my final tasting with Gerard, he wanted to show me what he calls his icon wines. Three wines that are the pinnacle of his and his father's work. Starting with what has been hailed by critics as the best rosé in the world. The idea was to create a rosé with a full expression of fruit, with a length, and with a potential of aging. We have five grapes and we age the wine like white in oak for nine months in order to develop also the complexity. And we have done also a special bottle and the bottle looks like a temple. You see the square here and we use a golden ratio in order also to pay a tribute for Egyptian civilization because the Clos du Temple is like a stone, a limestone. And inside we use only the golden ratio and in the middle we have vats with the shape of pyramids. When you arrive in the Clos du Temple, you can imagine Socrates or Plato explaining to you why, you know, human beings are very important. How do we have to take care of the planet and also to enjoy wine and to enjoy life. My father teach me that the wine industry is one thousand and one detail. And I think for this wine I have used one thousand and two. Right off the bat, not what I was expecting at all. Different than every other rosé I've had. I mean, I think it's supposed to be. You can taste the oak influence and I love that that richness it brings to it. I sipped it now a minute ago, still there. The mix of mineral mixed with fruit and then the balance is the other thing that I noticed. I think it's a multi-dimensional experience. If I closed my eyes and didn't know it had the extraction and it was a rosé I might say it has a lot of characteristics of burgundy, but then I get some red fruit and that kind of changes it a little bit. You can feel also the energy because the energy is coming from the terroir the schist provides the texture and the complexity and the limestone, the freshness and the minerality. I mean, I am excited because I will be able to drink this wine maybe for the next 20 years. We have two more wines and I don't know how you're going to top this if I'm being honest. Next, the orange wine, Villa Soleia. It's made only with local grapes and it's very low yield old vines. My idea was to develop the freshness the complexity to reduce the tanning and to reduce also the bitterness in order to have a wine with a beautiful aromas on the palate and also to have a beautiful length and to pair with amazing dishes. Of course, the best is the cheese platter because you can have goat cheese, camembert and blue cheese with the same wine which is very difficult to do. And then also with curry sauce with spicy. The beautiful orange color you don't have any oxidation it's very clear, it's pure and the smell is really unique because you have some honey you have some apricot some white flowers. Wow, is that clean. There's spice notes, an incense spice. Normally when I say a wine is honeyed, it feels sweet. This is honeyed without any feeling of sweetness. The way I would describe it is how dark chocolate tastes like chocolate but it doesn't taste sweet. And because of the tanning and the structure you will be able to drink this wine in the next 40 to 50 years. Finally, a wine that took him 15 years of planning replanting and development to make. Clodora. La Livinière is a terroir in the Minervois and this is really the kingdom for Syrah in the south of France. My idea was to create a Grand Vin Red and to use the four main grapes of the south. My expectation was really to develop the complexity and the fineness because it's very easy to make a full body wine. It's very complicated to have the complexity and the fineness in the same glass. I spent hours and hours with my team in order to capture the essence of the terroir, yes. I do smell more fruit on the nose but then I get on the palate. It's spicy it does have that earth character the leather, the tobacco all comes through and it is rich but again, still fresh still lift. You know it's very important to see if the bottle is empty at the end of the dinner at the end we don't make wine for tasting we make wine for drinking. Here's where I usually write some flowery voice over to wrap us up but when I asked Gerard where he sees the future of this place going he did my job for me. I am proud to have put the south of France in a map and I think now for the next decade I think we have to continue to promote the different terroirs from the region, the different appellations and in the same time we have also a message for the new generations because we want also to explain to them that they have to continue to protect the planet and the nature is stronger and more intelligent than us. Take care of the planet, take care of people and enjoy wine because when you start to drink wine you stop to fight and you start to talk. That's the truth. Amen to that. Thank you for a tremendous week. Cheers. La cuisine verticale c'est quelque chose qui commence de la terre jusqu'au ciel. Laurent Jaubert is the head chef of the Moon Room part of the Château L'Hospitalet property. You see Gerard and his team wanted to create a culinary adventure that encapsulates everything they stand for. A full multi-sensory experience where the food and wine works together with the music, light, and the representation of biodynamics. Welcome. Seven courses, each correlating to an entity of the solar system that guides their mission. My steward through the galaxy, Sommelier Pierre-Alexis Mingal. What happens now? I'm going to be your guide. So tonight we will discover together an experience with the planets. And guide me he did. The Moon is the most important in the dynamic process. Hear the music? We are on the 528 Earths, like the Moon. The Moon is representative of the light. It's very round, tender, with the charredness of the malolactic, but also relative to the sea world with the Sauvignon Blanc cutting it with a very nice acidity. The oysters that have been poached with fennel cream and salad. And on the top, some caviar from Bordeaux. Little did I know our journey was just beginning. The leaf growth with Mercury, the green planet. The vegetal world through the Sauvignon Blanc. Very aromatic, fresh, and mineral. The little gem lettuce that have been braised. Some koji with the fermented barley. And some white radish cappuccio on the top. The green vegetal wine with the earthy, crunchy, green dish. Next up. Venus, the pink planet. Elegance, femininity, beauty, and as you can hear, the harp music. It was an evidence to choose Claude Dutant for the pairing. Elegant bottle, fantastic tasting. Signature dish of the chef, the French mackerel with some beetroot flowers, some caviar, and a hint of poetry with pistachio cream. Bring you to the Seine. The pairing is about color. Prairie fish on the barbecue. Vegetables from the farm. Boutard and miso juice. The earth in the dish helped bring out the fruitiness in the wine. Okay, back aboard our ship. The red planet. Passion, the classic flamenco guitar and piano. Pinot Noir with a lot of freshness, but also spicy. Oh, wow! What an evolution. So, the eggplant of Saint Laurent. They have been braised and laked with tomato, garlic, onion, paprika, black olives, crumble, and on the top, some fine tuna charcuterie. The best course so far. It tastes like the color red, if that's at all possible. The orange planet. It's a very generous opulence, which is why I chose a big glass. My pairing was La Forge 2012. And the wine is very concentrated, full body, full of flavors, aromatic, complex, intense. You're going through the red fruits, the black fruits, the spicy to herbal, savory notes. Pigeon. Very French, I know. Creole. Tabouleh of polenta, dried tomatoes, lacto-fermented plum condiments, salad with argan oil on the top. Most important is the red wine pigeon juice. A good dish alone, a better dish with the wine. Spiced herbal carignan and the red wine sauce, perfect. And now, going back to the grain. The roasted world, toasty, fortified wine, 1939 vintage. Close to 100 years old. It's a sweet, luscious, very well balanced. It's made of red grenache on the beautiful terroir of the Roussillon. Fig of the estates, roasted and fresh in tartar. A fig leaf tree sorbet, and some hippocross, some fig juice. You're a tremendous guide, and I mean that. Thank you. The juxtaposition of raisiny, pruney fruit and figs with a miraculous freshness. Remarkable wine to end a remarkable journey through the solar system. More than anything, I was blown away by the thought and care put into the experience. The connection between the physical, the metaphysical, and the cosmic somehow encapsulated in a meal. This is one I'll remember for a long time. These are the salt farms of Grisson, slightly south of Narbonne. The algae from the waters of the Mediterranean give it this pink glow, almost beckoning you into the liquid fields. Salt. Necessary, but ubiquitous. Ancient, but taken for granted. It's in every kitchen in the world. It graces most tables and is important for every meal we eat. We don't think about where it came from, how it's harvested, and we don't expect much from it. For a long time, this was also the story of Languedoc-Roussillon wine. Made in large quantities, cheap, the winemakers, its history and the art of producing it taken for granted, the wine as forgettable as the salt on the table it sat next to. But not all salt is created equal, and the same, we know, is true for wine. The wines Girard and the other winemakers of Languedoc-Roussillon are producing today are changing the perception of this wine region tomorrow. Its history being recognized, its quality being revered, its diversity appreciated more and more each year. This happened because winemakers like Girard decided to turn Languedoc-Roussillon wine from a game of numbers to a product of passion. When no one is expecting more than the status quo, it's your duty to show them what they're missing. I hope you enjoyed Languedoc-Roussillon and we'll see you next time on V is for Vino. This cat looks like Ed Sheeran. Hey, Yves and Cyr. Hope you enjoyed the episode. If you have a moment, follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to support, please consider joining VinoVIP on visivino.com. It's our members only club with a ton of benefits. Thanks for watching and see you soon.