Priorat – in the steep foothills of the Montsant Mountains west of the Catalan coastal plain – has been known for rustic, undistinguished wines from it’s terraced vineyards planted in the 12th century by the Carthusian Monks. The potential of it’s old Garnacha (Grenache) and Cariñena (Carignan) vines was long understood but rarely exploited; the labor required to work the hard, slatey soil and steep vineyards was difficult to find and unprofitable.

Recently, the adoption of modern vitcultural techniques has sparked a resurgence. Trio Infernal is 20 hectares of very old vines near the village of Gratallops, brought back to life by three of the Rhône Valley’s most committed wine growers: Laurent Combier, Peter Fischer and Jean-Michel Gerin. No. 1/3 is a blend of 60% Garnacha and 40% Cariñena, farmed organically, and aged for 12 months in twice used barrels. Its intense red berry and balsamic flavors, highlighted by aromatic herbs, are balanced by bright acid and supple ripe tannins. Superb with veal, rabbit or chicken roasted with rosemary and garlic.

Regional History

Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella, a 1st Century agronomist, noted that wine imports from Spain were a sure sign of the decline of Roman agriculture. Lucius, as a native of Cadiz, knew well that vines were tended in Spain for at least three thousand years before he was born.

Even under nearly five hundred years of Moorish rule, wine provided coastal Spain with a basis for trade with the outside world, and by 1250 was a thriving part of business with France and England. However, this widespread trade had little effect on inland wine regions, where both viticulture and winemaking seemed stuck in Roman-era practices. In the latter half of the 20th Century, modern viticultural and winemaking techniques helped to shape a new respect for the character of the many grapes indigenous to Spain, and the 1980s witnessed an explosion in small, artisan wineries in regions as far-flung as Priorat, Toro, and Ribera del Duero.

Regional Foods
Spanish and Catalan foods include pungent, salty dishes that often combine meat and fish–typical dishes include lamb with cuttlefish, and paella. Excellent produce, proximity to the sea for fish, olives and olive oil, hot pepper, local tomatoes, oranges and garlic are some of the ingredients typically grown in the region. The many styles of wine produced here are indicative of the broad variety of foods available. Rosés accompany the langoustine and even lighter meat dishes. The powerfully flavored red wines accompany everything from paella to lamb, as well as the local sheep milk cheeses.

© 2007 Moore Brothers Wine Company

Julien Zernott and his wife, Delphine Rousseau took on the challenge of creating a “domaine” in the stony, hot, arid land of Pégairolles-de-l’Escalette – a tiny commune of 149 inhabitants just north and west of Montpellier. Julien, with his degrees in viticulture and oenology (as well as a track record of producing outstanding wines in the Loire appellation of Menetou-Salon), and his wife Delphine, have built the domaine from small parcels of old-vine Grenache, Carignan, Syrah, and old plantings of Alicante, Aramon, Carignan Blanc, and Terret Bourret.

The farming is organic, leaning towards bio-dynamic, and the fruit is hand-harvested and sorted. The “Le Premier Pas,” is the everyday wine of the domaine – richly flavored, with medium density, and a beautiful scent of the mineral-rich soil of the hilly, stark landscape. A perfect wine for grilled meats.

Regional History
The Languedoc-Roussillon, on France’s Mediterranean coast, forms an arc beginning west of the Rhône to the Spanish border. France’s first vineyards were planted here in what is now Narbonne. By the late 1800s, the area produced 44% of France’s total output of wine. Greed (and the region’s relatively quick recovery from the devastation of phylloxera), transformed the region into a “wine lake,” known for producing huge amounts of thin wine-often pumped up with richer, imported wines from Algeria and southern Italy. In the 1970′s and early 1980′s, smaller, high-quality farms began producing substantial, traditional wines and the trend continues today. The appellation Côteaux du Languedoc covers a broad expanse of hills overlooking the Mediterranean. This wine comes from just east of Montpellier, an area known for fruit farming as well as wine.

Regional Foods
The marvelously varied cuisine of Provence and further south is defined – but not limited – by its geography. Proximity to the sea and the mountains often results in plates that combine fish and meat and produce, along with the ubiquitous olive tree. Two classic regional dishes reflect this diversity: brandade melds salt cod, potatoes, garlic, olive oil and fresh cream; bouillabaisse brings together local fish such as racasse, langoustine, skate, and squid, plus sausages, served in saffron-scented stews. Abundant game adorns restaurant menus: boar, duck, antelope, and rabbit (often as rillettes) are common plats du jour, and lamb in form of “la ficelle,” a leg hung by rope over an open flame. Anchovies from Collioure are eaten grilled and served with rosé. The distinctive olive oils produced here are blended with fresh olives and herbs to make tapenade. Languedoc-Roussillon specifically supplies France with the first of the season’s peaches, cherries, and apricots.

© Moore Brothers Wine Company