Pays d’Oc

Pays d’Oc is the IGP for wines made in an extensive area on France’s southern coast, corresponding roughly to the Languedoc-Roussillon. It is arguably one of France’s most important wine regions, not just for total volume produced from this 115,000 hectares of vineyard, or the 200 cooperatives and 1,200 private producers, but for the flexibility for experimentation afforded by the IGP rules, which are much more flexible than the strict appelation rules. The Cabernet Sauvignon based wines of Mas de Daumas Gassac and Domaine de la Grange are prominent examples of this.

Given the swathes of land covered by Pays d’Oc, stretching from the southern mountain ranges of the Massif Central to the coastal plain of the Camargue, there is a wide variety of terroir from which wine is made. In general terms, the region has a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and mild winters, mediated by the dry, continental winds from the northwest. Of course, there are areas where the terroir is truly exceptional—such as that owned by Mase de Daumas Gassac—while others produce wines of ample quality, if not unique characteristics. Mediterranean varieties are most common, such as Grenache and Cinsault, along with classic French varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay. Many other varieties, such as Picpoul, Viognier, Muscat, Carignan and Mouvèdre, are also common, given the Picpoul de Pinet and Banyuls AOCs, for example, fall within the greater area overed by Pays d’Oc. Many wines are labelled with the varieties, making them popular with consumers the world over.