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 1970s and early 1980s, 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 is an area known for fruit farming as well as wine.
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.