The wine-growing region From the medieval Carcassonne to Port-La-Nouvelle, Quillan to Narbonne, the garrigue covers the heights while vines cover the valleys and hillsides. From the foothills of the Pyrenees to the Black Mountain range, the soil varies greatly (shale, limestone, sandstone, marl...). Yet the 11 vineyards producing Corbières wine are all stony and arid, influenced by the nearby Mediterranean.

Vine varieties Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault for red and rosé wine. Grenache blanc, Bourboulenc, Maccabeu, Marsanne and Roussanne for white wine.

A brief history... Over a century B.C., Greek merchants introduced wine growing to the Corbières region. The art was perpetuated by the Romans, who shipped wine to Rome via Narbonne. The barbaric invasions marked the decline of the vineyards until the XIth century, when Benedictine and Cistercian monks began renovating the vineyards, clearing thousands of hectares. In the XIIIth century, the vineyards again suffered, this time because of the Albigensian crusades. Finally, in the XVIIth century, the Corbières region flourished, with wine being shipped as far as Russia and Scotland. In the XIXth century, almost all the 3,000 km2 of the Corbières were covered in vines, though not always of the required quality. Early in the XXth century, moves were made to improve the vineyards, leading to certification (appellation d’origine contrôlée - AOC) in 1985.

Corbières vineyard around the village of Cucugnan

		A wine waiter's tips... Young wines hint of blackcurrants or blackberries. As they mature, they become spicier, with hints of liquorice and thyme. Mature red wine kept for a while tends towards leather, coffee or chocolate. Serve with game, grilled red meat or cassoulet (a regional dish with beans and pork or poultry).

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