DESTINATION

The Minervois is a wine appellation covering 61 communes. The first vines were introduced to the area by roman legionaries. The appellation sits in a natural amphitheatre rising from the banks of the river Aude, between the cities of Narbonne and Carcassonne. The appellation is divided into five climatic zones: the Cotes Noires in the far north west on the cool Atlantic-influenced foothills of the Montagne Noire; La Clamoux on alluvial terraces and flatter land in the south west towards Carcassonne; La Zone Centrale in the middle of the appellation at an altitude of around 400 m; La Causse on high land and poor, dry soils in the north east; and Les Serres in the warmest, most Mediterranean south east.
The appellation permits the production of red, rose and white wines. The region was awarded AC status in 1985, there has been considerable change and investment in the area since then, effectively improving the quality.

Cork was developed as a bottle closure in the late 17th century. It was only after this that bottles were lain down for aging, and the bottle shapes slowly changed from short and bulbous to tall and slender.

The predominant grapes for the Minervois red wines and Rose wines tend to be Carignan, Syrah, Cinsault, Grenache and Mourvedre. The Mourvedre and Syrah grapes bring an aromatic complexity and finesse to the Carignan, Cinsault and Grenache grapes in the blend. There are many white grape varieties planted in the Minervois wine region: Marsanne, Roussanne, Maccabeu, Bourboulenc, Rolle, Clairette and Muscat.

The average age of a French oak tree harvested for use in wine barrels is 170 years!

The lip of a red wine glass is sloped inward to capture the aromas of the wine and deliver them to your nose.

“Cuvée” means “vat” or “tank.” It is used to refer to a particular batch or blend.

Grapevines cannot reproduce reliably from seed. To cultivate a particular grape variety, grafting is used.

In France you do not call (or order) a wine by its grape (Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet, etc...) but by its origin (Saint-Emilion, Pommard, Bandol, ...)

The shape of the bottle is specific to each region : narrow for Alsace, cylindrical for Bordeaux, plump for Burgundy, etc...

Rosé wine is not a mix of a red and a white wine. It is made of red grapes fermented in such a way that the colour is light.