Adventurous Red Wines (Part 1)

Wine lovers are often on the lookout for unique tastes and flavors instead of the common choices.  When it comes to red wines, moving away from the typical Cabernet, Merlot, and Pinot Noir can be a worthwhile experience. 

The Languedoc and the Roussillon of Southern France are two regions that burgeon with under-discovered red wines. The area forms a chain of vineyards from just west of Avignon, where the Languedoc begins, around the curve of the Mediterranean to Perpignan, where Roussillon starts and heads south into the Pyrenees.

There are two main types of wine from Languedoc-Roussillon: wines made from grapes such as Merlot and Chardonnay, often with the oaky flavors favored by New World producers, and regional wines made of blends of local grapes.  The varietals range from tasty, affordable buys at $6 to $12 to bottles reaching into the $40s.

The regional wines share a similar range, but offer more interesting, unique flavors. Most are based on a combination of the dark Spanish Carignane, Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre.  Some also include other obscure local grapes which add dark, spicy flavors. Many are rustic, the sort of rough-edged wines that would be best appreciated with causal meals, and have prices to match at $6 to $15.

Top appellations include La Clape, Collioure, Corbieres, Faugeres, Fitou, Minervois, Pic St. Loup, and St. Chinian.

On the other side of Avignon, the grapes Carignane, Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre continue the trail from Roussillon and stretch east along the Mediterranean.  Wines like Cotes de Provence, Coteaux d’Aix en Provence, and Coteaux Varois are large and varied appellations that vary greatly in quality from own estate to another.  The much smaller Bandol appellation, home to the black Mourvedre grape, stands out for some of the most intense and delicious wines in all of Provence; the best are tannic and structured enough to age well more than a decade. The small appellation of Les Baux de Provence, just east of Aries, is also a hotbed of excellent reds based on the traditional Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre trio plus smatterings of local grapes.

Prices range all over the board, from $7 for casual rose and red pours, to well into the $50s for exalted roses and reds, particularly from Bandol.

These great choices give wine lovers a chance to explore the wider world of red wines and move away from traditional, and sometimes tired, choices.

For more information on wines go to VinoList - The Wine Database

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