Rivesaltes (wine region)
The Rivesaltes wine-growing region , named after the town of Rivesaltes , has the status of an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (since May 19, 1972). In 86 municipalities of the Pyrénées-Orientales department and nine municipalities of the Aude department , a total of around 10,000 hectares of wine are grown on stony terraces. Mainly fortified liqueur wine , Vin Doux Naturel (German: naturally sweet wine ) is produced. During winemaking , its fermentation is stopped by adding alcohol in order to achieve the desired natural sweetness and biochemical stability. Four basic types are distinguished depending on the type of expansion :
- Grenat's reductively developed young red wines,
- Ambré's oxidatively developed white wines,
- Tuilés (oxidative red wines) and
- Hors d'âge (5 years or older wines of the Ambrés or Tuilés variety).
The aim of the oxidative expansion is to achieve the goût du rancio (the rancio taste). The wine is exposed to all weather fluctuations through the oxidative expansion in the barrel or in the fermentation balloon . Due to the cold in winter and the heat in summer, the wine ages faster and becomes increasingly brown (this applies to both white and red wine , which hardly differ in color with age). It tastes very rich of raisins , nuts and plums and has a long and, despite residual sweetness, quite dry finish. Therefore, these wines are not only suitable as dessert wine , but also as an aperitif .
Vintage wines that can be stored for at least 25-30 years are also bottled.
Approved grape varieties
The grape varieties Muscat blanc à petits grains , Muscat d'Alexandrie , Grenache Blanc , Macabeo , Tourbat (also called Malvoisie du Roussillon) are permitted for the white wines .
Grenache , Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris , Macabeo and Tourbat can be used for the red wines . Carignan , Cinsault , Syrah and Listán are also permitted to a small extent .
List of approved municipalities
- In the Pyrénées-Orientales department:
Argelès-sur-Mer , Bages , Baho , Baixas , Banyuls-dels-Aspres , Bélesta , Le Boulou , Brouilla , Cabestany , Caixas , Calce , Camélas , Canet , Canohès , Cases-de-Pène , Cassagnes , Castelnou , Céret , Claira , Corbère , Corbère-les-Cabanes , Corneilla-de-la-Rivière , Corneilla-del-Vercol , L'Ecluse , Elne , Espira-de-l'Agly , Estagel , Fourques , Ille-sur-Têt , Laroque-des -Albères , Latour-Bas-Elne , Latour-de-France , Lesquerde , Llauro , Llupia , Maureillas , Maury , Millas , Montauriol , Montescot , Montesquieu , Montner , Nétiach , Opoul-Périllos , Ortafa , Palau-del-Vidre , Passa , Pia , Perpignan , Peyrestortes , Pézilla-de-la-Rivière , Planèze , Pollestres , Ponteilla , Rasiguères , Reynès , Rivesaltes, Saint-André , Sainte Colombe , Saint-Estève , Saint-Féliu-d'Amont , Saint Féliu-d 'Aval , Saint-Génis-des Fontaines , Saint-Hyppolyte , Saint-Jean-Lassaille , Saint-Jean-Pla-de-Corts , Saint-Nazaire , Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet , Saleilles , Salses-le-Château , Le Soler , Sorède , Tautavel , Terrats , Thuir , Tordères , Toulouges , Tresserre , Trouillas , Villelongue-dels-Monts , Villemolaque , Villeneuve-de-la-Raho , Villeneuve-de-la-Rivière , Vingrau and Vivès .
- In the Aude department:
Cascastel-des-Corbières , Caves , Fitou , La Palme , Leucate , Paziols , Treilles , Tuchan and Villeneuve-les-Corbières .
See also
literature
- Jancis Robinson : The Oxford Wine Lexicon . 3. Edition. Gräfe and Unzer Verlag, 2007, ISBN 978-3-8338-0691-9 .
- Pierre Galet : Cépages et Vignobles de France . Lavoisier Publishing House, Paris 2004, ISBN 2-7430-0585-8 .
- Benoît France (ed.): Grand Atlas des Vignobles de France . Solar publishing house, Paris 2002, ISBN 2-263-03242-8 .