Roussillonis known for the diversity of its wines and terroirs. It is a region where seaand mountains come together in an amphitheatre that nestles in the south ofFrance between Spain, the Mediterranean Sea, the Pyrenees and mountains of theCorbières. The region's unique geology and microclimates allow each of the 23authorized grape varieties to reach its fullest expression. Roussillon, thesunniest (and driest) region of France, currently produces around 22 milliongallons of wine a year and is the ninth largest producer of wine in France. Withits unique patchwork of micro-terroirs Roussillon offers a diverse range ofwines including dry, still wines and fortified sweet wines. Roussillonis always seen as part of the Languedoc region (now itself merged into the newsuper-region of Occitanie) but for some time the distinctive wines of Roussillonhave merited their own treatment. Roussillon is quite different from theLanguedoc. It did not become part ofFrance until the treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659 and it considers itselfCatalan, not Occitan.

George considers the rich history of the region,particularly the Spanish effect, and explains the predominance of vin doux naturel . The warm sunshine of Roussillon makes for very ripe grapes and wineswith high alcohol. She moves on to the viticulture, winemaking and grapevarieties and the extraordinary variety of terroirs and soils of the region. Thetopography of the vineyards of Roussillon is dominated by three river valleys,the Agly, Têt and Tech, flowing into the Mediterranean near Perpignan. The soilof Roussillon is enormously varied, indeed some of the most varied of all thevineyards of France. The viticulture of Roussillon is founded on Grenache,initially for vin doux naturel , but increasingly for table wines. And there are other grape varieties that aremore roussillonais than languedocien , such as Macabeo, with its Spanishorigins. The main part of The wines of Roussillon is the series ofchapters by appellation, covering the key wine growers, with a balance ofwell-established, and newcomers, and also some cooperatives.

This is the firstbook-length study of the wines and winemakers of this stunning region. Theflavours of Roussillon are quite different from those of the Languedoc. They are richand warm. The wines of Roussillon have evolved, as they have in the Languedoc,becoming more sophisticated, prompted partly by the increase in the number ofindependent producers as opposed to the previous extensive domination of thecooperatives. As in the Languedoc,white wine is becoming more important, with white Collioure as well as IGPsfrom cooler areas in the high hills. Whetherreaders want to seek out and enjoy again a once-mystery bottle bought locallyand, with new insight, get a colourful taste of the people, terrain and storybehind it, or to explore this stunning wild wine region for themselves, helpedalong by some background information and opinion on where to find thesewinemakers, Rosemary George's The winesof Roussillon is the ideal companion.