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© Château de Raissac
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By TERRy WARD
To be sure, the French have a way with words.
We are rolling along a ribbon of road outside Béziers, past miles
of vineyards that are written into the dry earth like so much leafy
scrollwork and poppies blooming like red exclamation points
here and there.
And words escape me as I take it all in.
We turn down a sun-dappled gravel lane. Filtered light streams
through the plane trees and irises cluster their purple heads
together in the shade. At the road’s end, Château de Raissac—one
of several wine-producing châteaux in Languedoc-Roussillon—
stands as a quiet sentinel. It’s as if the elegant blue-shuttered
building, too, is bathing in the beauty of its surroundings.
“Ça me fait rêver,” breathes my companion. And I couldn’t have
put it better.
France is full of destinations that will make one dream. But a
journey through Languedoc-Roussillon feels to me like a privileged
partaking in a lesser-known side of the country’s good-life soul.
At Château de Raissac, guests can stay in an authentic chateau
that has been in the viennet family since 1828. The property’s
wine cellar and storehouses date to the seventeenth century.
And the pinot noirs, viogniers, and chardonnays nurtured in the
nearby vineyards have evolved from the area’s rich patrimoine,
dating back to Gallo-Roman times.
Earlier, when I had told a friend who studies viticulture in Bordeaux
that I would be visiting Languedoc-Roussillon, her enthusiasm
poured forth like a convivial bottle of red.
www.franceguide.com
fOOd & wINe
CuLInARy
HERITAGE
Ageing room Château de Raissac
FOLLOWInG THE ROOTS OF FOOD AnD WInE TO
THEIR SOuRCE In LAnGuEDOC-ROuSSILLOn.
“The region has acted almost like a vanguard for re-plantation and new methods,” Sera Goto,
a Californian, told me. “There are not many growing regions in the world that have made such a
public, dramatic push to re-plant and restyle their approach to wine production for the purpose
of competing on the global market.”
“And the wines are already showing the results of the effort,” Sera said.
Indeed, this south central region of France—hinged between the Mediterranean Sea, Rhone river
delta, and the Spanish border—is the most productive wine region in the world.
In the past, Languedoc-Roussillon was known for over-produced table wines rather than the vin
de pays varietals that now command the region’s spotlight. From lighter Minervois crus to more
full-bodied Corbières and Fitou appellations, the region is particularly revered for its reds, which
pair delightfully with grilled meats and local sausages.
With an eye (and a nose) on the Corbières region, my next stop is the Abbaye de Font-froide—a
Benedictine monastery dating to the eleventh century. This is Cathar country, and the surrounding
castles and vineyards of the department of Aude add to the splendid setting. After admiring the
thirteenth-century cloister and rose garden, there are Corbières wines to be tasted in the abbey’s cellar.
The pleasures of the table, too, are a big part of what brings me to Languedoc-Roussillon. And when
it comes to gastronomy, the region’s contribution to France’s culinary heritage runs as deep and
wide as its endless seas of vines.
Before its wines evolved onto the global stage, this part of France was long known for the quality of
its gastronomy. Dominated by the subtle flavors of Provence, the cuisine of Languedoc-Roussillon
is typified by a penchant for olive oil, tomatoes, and aromatic herbs and an affinity for red meats,
sausages, and seafood.
Le Castellas, a family-run hostellerie in the village of Collias, remains a local secret despite its
Michelin star. Chef Jérôme nutile’s menu of creative French cuisine is strong on seafood dishes
such as delicately fried turbot and salt cod ravioli.
For meatier pursuits, there’s the famed specialty of Castelnaudary and Carcassonne. Cassoulet—a
slow cooked stew that blends variations of pork, duck, goose, lamb, and white haricot beans—is
the region’s most renowned culinary calling card. And how the dish is prepared depends on the lieu
where it’s served.
The first time I tasted cassoulet was in Toulouse, where the region’s special sausage and rich
goose confit are key to the local recette. In Castelnaudary, there’s even more emphasis on pork
ingredients, extending from ham shanks and sausages to the skin itself. And in Carcassonne, duck
confit is often replaced by red partridge in the dish.
My only regret, as I tuck into my last savory bite, is that this trip allows no more time to ramble
down the Route des Cassoulets—an epicurean’s dream tour that winds from Caracassonne to
Toulouse, pointing cassoulet lovers to small inns and Michelin-starred restaurants that render
the dish to its maximum.
La prochaine fois, maybe next time, I think to myself. For I know my travels will bring me back to
Languedoc-Roussillon.
www.raissac.com
www.lecastellas.com
www.fontfroide.com
www.routedescassoulets.com