IGP Pays d'Oc wines awarded at the Gilbert & Gaillard International Challenge

I.G.P.

The Pays d'Oc Protected Geographical Indication covers the departments of Hérault, Aude, Gard and Pyrénées-Orientales, together with six communes in the south of Lozère. The vineyard forms a wide arc backed by the Pyrenees and the Cévennes, running along more than 200 kilometres of Mediterranean coastline, and spreads across three zones: the coastal plain, the first hills and foothills, and vineyards set at higher altitude further inland. Soils are highly varied — coastal sands, stony plateaus, clay-limestone hillsides — under a Mediterranean climate that enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine a year. This mosaic of terroirs supports the cultivation of 58 authorised grape varieties, reds including merlot, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, grenache, cinsault, carignan and pinot noir, and whites including chardonnay, sauvignon and viognier. What sets Pays d'Oc apart from its neighbouring appellations of origin: more than nine wines in ten are made from a single grape variety, allowing the wine to be labelled with the name of its variety.

The wines of this appellation

Pays d'Oc produces red, white, rosé and gris wines, most of them made from a single grape variety, which allows for a wide range of styles depending on the variety chosen. Reds made from merlot, cabernet sauvignon or pinot noir are structured, with red fruit aromas. Whites made from chardonnay, sauvignon or viognier are lively and aromatic. Made largely from grenache, cinsault and syrah, the rosé and gris wines — their colour ranging from violet tints to pale pink for gris de gris — are fruity and light, with fine texture and notes of blackcurrant and strawberry sometimes lifted by floral touches. Overall the wines are supple and easy-drinking, with a fruity, fresh, approachable character, meant to be enjoyed young. They pair well with beef, especially grilled, with fish, shellfish and dishes served in sauce.