The multiple sides of Roussillon
Between sea and mountain, Roussillon is a multifaceted region producing a wide range of wine styles and colours. On the front line of global warming, can this diversity be key to its resilience and success, or does it risk fracturing its identity? Join Iris Fabre, an educator at WSET School London, as she delves into the rich diversity of Roussillon. Roussillon is rarely considered on its own. Often attached to its neighbour Languedoc when discussed, if not relegated to a larger, more vague ‘Southern France’, the French region is still incredibly underrated, despite having much to offer. Nestled between the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrenees mountains, Roussillon belonged to the Spanish kingdom until the 17th century and maintains a very strong Catalan identity, as opposed to the Languedoc, whose cultural heritage is Occitan (hence the ‘langue d’Oc’). Roussillon shares a warm Mediterranean climate with its neighbour, but with drier conditions and a more rugged landscape. The mountainous nature of the area, dominated by the Canigou peak, has traditionally made Roussillon much more isolated and smaller – the total vineyard area is 14,711 hectares, the equivalent of one-eighth of Languedoc’s vineyard area. The quantities of wine produced are also limited compared to the Languedoc. Eric Aracil, co-director of Roussillon’s professional body (CIVR, Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins du Roussillon), claims that the region has the lowest yields of the PDO and PGI categories in France, often under 30hl/ha for dry wines – when the country’s average is closer to 60hl/ha. Roussillon is home to many old vines, producing smaller quantities of wine with very concentrated flavours. Over 24 varieties are grown in the region, which often relies on blending – key grapes include Grenache, Syrah, Carignan for the reds and Grenache Blanc, Macabeu and Muscat for the whites. A mosaic of landscapes and wine styles Roussillon is surrounded by mountain ranges on three sides – the Corbières to the north, separating it from Languedoc, the Pyrénées to the west and the Albères to the south, marking the border with Spain. This has also impacted the type of soils found in the area, which are incredibly varied, from schist to clay and silt. The natural amphitheatre is crossed by three rivers (the Agly, the Têt and the Tech), which act as intra-regional markers. Wind is also an important feature in Roussillon, with eight winds blowing from every direction and bringing either cool and humid conditions, or warmth and dryness. Roussillon leads the production of Vins Doux Naturels (VDN) in France, representing 75% of the country’s fortified style. This speciality is rooted in history, when physician Arnaud de Villeneuve discovered ‘mutage’ in the late 13th century: the addition of a high-strength spirit during fermentation kills the yeast before it ferments all the sugar in the wine, resulting in a naturally sweet and fortified wine. Roussillon boasts three PDOs for its Vins Doux Naturels: Rivesaltes, Maury and Muscat de Rivesaltes. However, the production has dramatically decreased in the last decades: Bernard Rouby, head of the Maury VDN association, explains that current production reaches about 3,000hl, against 40,000hl in 1974: ‘it’s definitely a niche now, we sell by the bottle rather than by cases. Even local people and the on-trade don’t know much about VDN, which makes it a hard sell’. With VDN sales drastically declining, Maury obtained a PDO for dry reds in 2011, called ‘Maury Sec’. Roussillon’s dry wines are a recent change in production: between the two World Wars, the region was pushed to supply both the army and Northern France. They now represent over 80% of the region’s production, with 1 PGI and 8 PDOs. The coastal villages of Banyuls (another VDN) and Collioure sit outside the Roussillon appellation structure. PDOs include ‘Côtes du Roussillon’, producing all colours, the more northern and red wine only ‘Côtes du Roussillon Villages’ and five villages with a ‘cru’ status. However, a number of wineries have decided to use the IGP, ‘Côtes Catalanes’, rather than AOC Côtes du Roussillon, as the former is more identifiable by consumers. Caught between climate change and changing tastes Global warming has added pressure to this already warm climate, with successive and prolonged drought periods in the last five years, leading to reduced and underripe crops as vines shut down in response to extreme heat and hydric stress. 2026 initially seemed promising, with up to 800mm of rain through winter and spring, but the successive heatwaves experienced throughout Europe this summer have now dimmed the light of hope producers had earlier in the year. Varieties not as drought resistant as Grenache or Mourvèdre struggle increasingly, which is an added challenge in a blend-focused region, and old vines suffer more than young ones, as their roots are so deep irrigation can’t reach them. Global drinking trends also seem to drift away from Roussillon’s typical wines, as consumers tend to favour lower ABV, chilled red wines, when the region has traditionally produced full-bodied, high alcohol wines – a trend likely to be amplified by global warming. The fruity and full whites have proved more popular but remain a small part of the region’s production. This, combined with the low prices driven by cooperatives (which represent ¾ of the total production), adds to Roussillon’s struggle to gain recognition on the global market, and many producers have ended up disheartened. ‘Languedoc-Roussillon has lost its cool as a whole,’ claims Jonathan Hesford from Domaine Treloar, which he founded with his wife in 2009. The climate pressure and the volatility of the market pushed Hesford to sell his vines and focus more on hospitality by organising tastings and events at his winery. But selling vines in this climate is proving difficult for many, and with the government subsidies to uproot, vineyards have gradually turned into peach orchards and olive groves – more profitable and reliable products. The way forward: resilience or reinvention? One of the bright sides of a warm and dry climate is the low disease pressure, facilitating organic viticulture. For instance, the large Domaine Cazes in Rivesaltes farms its 200 hectares biodynamically, which incurs a high labour cost. Overall, 35% of Roussillon’s vineyards are either certified or in organic conversion, but a larger number work sustainably – on the front line of global warming, climatic resilience is a must, regardless of labels. Sustainable practices include tree planting, bat and bird nests installations and cover crops in the off-season to help with biodiversity and soil erosion without competing with vines when they need water. Domaine Lafage, a family-owned négociant producing over a million bottles a year, has put an emphasis on Regenerative Viticulture, creating an R&D department dedicated to vineyard resilience and investing in Biofiltro, a technology providing water treatment through giant troughs filled with worms and woodchips. Roussillon is also a leading French region in terms of low intervention producers, with acclaimed wineries such as Matassa or Domaine Gauby. Many of the low intervention wineries work with indigenous yeasts, use minimal extraction and experiment with various vessels, bringing more fruit-forward and fresher wines, while still using the traditional grapes of Roussillon. With their potentially lower ABV, they seem to match a more sought-after style by consumers. Many of those low intervention wines often have funky and colourful labels making them easily marketable – not as a Roussillon wine (if they are even part of the PDO), but as their own brand. This asks the question: are those wines diluting the identity of Roussillon, or are they modern examples of the diversity of the region? This diversity has always been one of Roussillon’s strengths and has enabled it to adapt to the climate and the market. Rather than picking a single identity, its future might lie in embracing them all. About the author Iris Fabre DipWSET is an Educator at WSET School London. Originally from France, she gained valuable hospitality experience in London before becoming a full-time wine educator and freelance writer.
