Catalan Food & Wine

The local baker is bringing bread in the morning.

The story of wine in the Roussillon area started as early as in the 8^th century when Phoenicians and Greek traders came to  Roussillon to mine the iron. Generally though, the introduction of winemaking to France is attributed to the Romans during the 1^st and 2^nd centuries BC. The collapse of the Roman empire brought some instability while the Visigoths moved in. Vineyards survived along with two aspects of the previous Roman rule; Christianity and the rule of law. Winemaking continued as an organised agriculture throughout the Middle Ages thanks to the well established Roman system of monks. Wine was an essential element in monastery life, both for the monks and the travellers being lodged at the monasteries. With Charlemagne and the Catholic church the first expansion of wine growing came since the Roman times. Wine became a valuable commodity in Roussillon and the churches invested in landholdings dedicated to vineyards.

However, Roussillon area remained rather unknown as a wine estate, not prospering at all like the most northern areas like Bordeaux that profited from the expansion in trade with the English and the Dutch. Not until the treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659 and communication with the rest of the country improved - Canal du Midi opened in 1681 - Roussillon was able to start establishing a reputation for its wines. The greatest development to start exports of wine from the area came with the arrival of the railways in the 19^th century. This was a prosperous time for the winemakers of Roussillon, who benefitted on a huge demand from factory workers and miners in the north of France for cheap wines. Its sales contributed to the building of some impressive chateaux in Roussillon.

In the first half of the 19^th century several mechanical and scientific developments took place in the vineyard and the cellars. It was also a period when the wine merchant became increasingly significant in the economy of wine. Sadly, fortunes changed in the second half of the century when phylloxera louse infested  the region resulting in devastating effects on the vineyards, even eradicating new vineyards. Nevertheless, the vineyards  of Roussillon were replanted and recovered, at the same time there was a phenomenal expansion in wine production in the French colony of Algeria.

Many local producers left the south of France to try their luck in Algeria where they made wine that was exported to France. Unfortunately, the expansion of imported Algerian wine led to overproduction in the beginning of the 20^th century, with lots of protests and reforms following. One solution to take measures against overproduction and to make selling wine more profitable was to develop caves cooperatives. They were intended as a way for small producers collectively to compete with large estates and to negotiate better deals with the powerful wine merchants. By 1914 there were 27 caves cooperatives in Languedoc Roussillon.

During the 20^th century, after the wars, an increased understanding of wine making developed. Winemakers began to put more effort into the cellars, with a better understanding of what happens when grape juice ferments and more awareness of the need to regulate the process to achieve consistency and quality. New pressing and cooling equipment began to be used and more consideration was taken in regards to assure enough maturing of wines before bottling. All in all contributing to far better wines at all levels, from the basic vin de table to the quality domained-bottled wines. Roussillon wines were no longer only to make a mass market of cheap wines.

The movement towards better quality wines also resulted in a more limited production. Instead of quantity, high quality wines - 70 % of vineyards in Roussillon  - produce wine of appellation standards. AOC - Appellation d’Origine Controlee - established in the 1930s, intended to monitor and guarantee certain standards of viniculture and to extend legal protection to regional and communal wine names. Theer are seven appellations for table wines in the Roussillon area, out of which three are the most famous; Cotes Du Roussillon, Cotes du Roussillon Villages and Collioure.

Another means of improving wine quality was the introduction of Vin de Pays d’Oc - a regional category, established in 1970s to encourage areas producing basic table wines to improve quality. The legislation governing vin de pays specifies geographical area, grape varieties and methods of viticulture and viniculture. The category is used for wines made from grape varieties not traditional from the region. However, these are not as restrictive as those governing the AOC. Winemakers producing vin de pays in Roussillon represent the avant-garde in many respects. They are at the forefront of experimentation in terms of grape variety  and methods of vinification. As a result, some of the most interesting wines being produced in Roussillon today are labelled Vin de Pays d’Oc. At least according to some wine conaisseurs... What makes the wines so exciting is the mix of a new generation of winemakers from other parts of the world bringing new experiences to meet the old know-how traditions that go back centuries. 

Roussillon has five distinctive zones labelled Vin de Pays d’Oc. Some of the most famous ones include; Vin de Pays des Pyrenees - Orientales, Vins de Pays Catalan and Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes.

Food

The soil, the hydrology, and the sunshine combine to make the area one of the most fertile regions of France. 33% of the land in the region is cultivated. Viticultire is by far the most significant agricultural activity. The region also produces the first crops of the year in France, including apricots, peaches, tomatoes, strawberries, lettuce, artichokes and cherries. Traditionally, and still ongoing today, the first cherries from Ceret each year, are sent to the President of the Republic.

The Catalan gastronomy is rich, varied and refined, and one of the most ancient and developed in the Mediterranean. Its distinctive flavours have evolved over the course of many centuries largely under the influence of culinary traditions from North Africa, Italy, Spain and the Middle East. The Catalans enjoy one of the most varied diets of the continent. From the sea come fish and oysters, from the mountains come kill from the hunt. The fertile plain provide a range of vegetables and cereals, olives and almonds. The climate also favours the cultivation of fruits; peaches and apricots being the most significant of the Roussillon fruit crops, apples and pears make a smaller contributionto the regions fruit harvest. With the treaty of the Pyrenees a new bourgeois diet was introduced, creating a small rupture in some of  the traditional foods, although much of the Catalan dishes still present in both the French and Spanish Catalan cuisine. Some of the more typical dishes are Bols de Picolats, Pain tomate, seafood tapas, Catalan anchovies, Maury Partridge, saucissons, saubrissada, escargots, roasted peppers, crème catalane, the rousquilles biscuit.

Wine & food

The meal and the accompanying wines must complement each other. A rustique dish requires a bold wine, whereas a delicate meal requires a more subtle wine. During a meal the following should be considered; white wines before reds, young wines before old wines, and dry wines before sweet wines. Maury and Banyuls are typical sweet desert or aperitif wines, certain starters like melon or foie gras are often served with this sweet wine, the Cotes du Roussillon white wines are the perfect match to a number of local seafood and shellfish tapas; sauteed calamari, mussels, oysters aand cockles. Full bodied or oak-aged whites go well with fish dishes in sauces and seafood gratins. The best time to enjoy a Cote du Roussillon Rose’ is the summer when they make a perfect apertitif and can be enjoyed throughout a full meal. It goes well with salads, quiches and grilled fish dishes. Young & fruity red wines go well with vegetarian meals, white meats and cheese. Oak-aged and full bodied Cotes du Roussillon Villages and Collioure are best served with more full-some stews like coq au vin, bols de picolat, grilled meats and roasts. Bon appetite, bon profit, enjoy your meal!