Discovering an “Arrogant Frog” cuvée from Domaines Paul Mas in Kyoto, Japan, during a photography festival. Enjoying a fine rosé from Vignobles Jeanjean aboard an Air Canada flight. Attending a master class in Cuba hosted by Château de Lastours and its Corbières wines in front of 200 people. Taking a course in Thailand dedicated to Limoux sparkling wines from Françoise Antech without being able to precisely locate France, let alone the Pyrénées, on a map. Savoring a pleasant “pays d’Oc” from the Fabre family at Wan Chai, a wine bar in Hong Kong. These are just a few examples showing the global reach of Languedoc wines.
While they are not always recognized or even respected in France, Languedoc wines are enjoying remarkable export success. Languedoc-Roussillon is the world’s largest wine-producing region, with more than 200,000 hectares and around 12 million bottles produced annually. “If we were a country, we would rank sixth among wine producers,” joked Pierre Bories, president of the Interprofessional Council of Languedoc Wines (CIVL). Exports from the region as a whole do not exceed 30%. However, when focusing on the more prestigious protected designation of origin (AOP), foreign markets account for 40%. As for the four leading producers – Gérard Bertrand, Jean-Claude Mas, Miren de Lorgeril and Brigitte Jeanjean – who sell large volumes and multiple vintages at a range of price points under their own names, sales outside France represent more than 60% of their output.
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