There’s something at once exotic and approachable about Languedoc, the northern swath of the sister territories known as Languedoc-Roussillon, France’s largest wine-producing region. Its wines, culled from over 100 grape varieties that grow in Languedoc-Roussillon, are as varied as the jigsaw of its microclimates and terrains, which stretch along the Mediterranean between Provence and the Spanish border.
The Languedoc is beautiful, and despite its proximity to the eternally popular Mediterranean, there’s a remarkable lack of tourists. In fact, as you walk oak-lined roads to petite villages cobbled around a single central square, you get a constant sense of peeping through a keyhole into a panorama that’s so charming and undisturbed—and, well, French—that it’s hard to believe the place isn’t overrun.
Languedoc is France’s largest organic wine-growing region; the warm, dry climate discourages the growth of molds, mildew, and fungi, which makes synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides less necessary. A shining light of this movement is Gérard Bertrand, who, since 2002, has gradually converted his domains to biodynamic practices.
History literally runs deep here: The ancient Via Domitia—the first Roman road in Gaul, which connected Italy to Spain—can be seen in the city of Narbonne. Hilltops boast ruined castles that were Cathar strongholds in the 13th century. Along with Provence, it’s the oldest wine region in France—vineyards have been here since the fifth century B.C. So book a flight to Paris , a train ticket to Montpellier , then jump in a rental car and start to explore.