When you drive through the Languedoc Roussillon region for the first time, the one thing you remember is the vineyards. They are everywhere; an indelible part of the landscape: on the plains, by the sea, on river banks, in the hills, even on the side of mountains. The Languedoc Roussillon region is the largest wine producing region in the world. It produces one-third of French wine and nearly one-tenth of the world's wine production. For many years this region was known only for cheap, bulk wine. It was not widely recognized by the French Appellation d'Origine Contrôllée (AOC) system and the vines that were planted, such as Carignan and Aubun, were not internationally recognizable varieties. In recent times much of this has changed. Many old vines have been torn up and new, international varieties planted, such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Syrah (Shiraz), Cabernet Sauvignon and Viognier, bottled as varietal wines, which is still unusual in France. This has helped the Languedoc Roussillon region compete directly with the New World. Some of the top wines in the region can be exceptional, and are now starting to compete in price with the best wines from the New World and Bordeaux.

The number of appellations has increased, but given the wide variety of soils and micro climates in the larger regions, such as Minervois, Corbières and Coteaux du Languedoc, this is not always a guarantee of consistent quality. Small regions such as Faugères, or Pic St. Loup can be more reliable, but often small-production Vin de Pays wines made by good producers are a better buy. The wine produced ranges from the sparkling wines of Limoux to the fortified wines of Banyuls with many varieties and blends of red, white and rose wine. The main wine producing regions, from south to north, are: Pyrenées Orientales: Collioure, Banyuls, Côtes du Roussillon, Fitou Aude: Corbières, Limoux, Minervois Herault: Coteaux du Languedoc, Minervois, St. Chinian, Faugères, Pic St. Loup Gard: Costières de Nîmes, Muscat

For Champagne-style sparkling wines you could try the Blanquette de Limoux and the more modern style Crémant de Limoux. Sparkling wine has been made in Limoux since 1531, far longer than Champagne. Limoux is a town set in the foothills of the Pyrenees, and the climate here suits the culture of the Chardonnay grape. Still Chardonnay wine in the Burgundy style is good here, and Limoux now has a separate appellation for still Chardonnay wines. For strong, spicy wines, the Carignan-dominated Fitou wines can be interesting. The La Lavinière region in the north of the Minervois is producing the best wines from this appellation, with a higher proportion of international varieties in the blend. Lighter, elegant wines can be enjoyed from the St. Chinian appellation, a region that covers 20 villages, with its gravelly soil. Rose wines from this area can be good. However, for red wines, those of Faugères are generally more interesting, produced from the schistous soils of the Cévennes foothills, and can be particularly elegant and well balanced wines. Banyuls is France's answer to Tawny Port, and is produced in the southern-most part of Roussillon, just a few kilometres from the Spanish border. Some fine wines are produced here and make a very nice accompaniment to Roquefort cheese.