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Booze by Geoff Last When I began writing this column for Fast Forward a couple of years ago, I decided to first write about the wine regions that, at the time, were near and dear to my heart (and liver). One of those regions is the Languedoc, located in the south of France, just south of the Côtes-du-Rhône. I was drawn to the region because it had recently undergone a huge transformation in quality and was producing wines that could rival some of the best producers from the Rhône (my favourite wine region) at a fraction of the price. Since then, the selection of wines from the Languedoc has increased drastically, and the excellent 1998 vintage has allowed many producers to take their wines to new heights. The wines rely heavily on two of my favourite grapes, syrah and grenache, as well as other traditional varietals such as mourvèdre, cinsault and carignan. Even those non-traditional louts of the vineyard, merlot and cabernet sauvignon, make the odd appearance, either in blends or on their own. The region still produces, to a certain degree, vast quantities of nondescript plonk that is sold mainly in French supermarkets (under the basic vin de table category), but it also now produces about 80 per cent of the generally superior vins de pays, which is often sold as Pays d’Oc. In the last 10 years, a good number of winemakers have made a drastic shift from a focus on quantity to one of quality, with many of them abandoning the less desirable vineyard sites (usually on the valley floor) for the superior hillside locations. The key districts in the Languedoc are Corbières, Minervois, Fitou, Costières de Nimes and Coteaux du Languedoc. Many of the wines I am about to recommend from these areas are not in general distribution, but can be found at a number of specialty wine shops in Calgary. The domaine of Michel Gassier produces two exceptional white wines (red wines tend to dominate in the Languedoc) – his 1999 Domaine de Molines sauvignon blanc/viognier blend ($11.20) and his 1999 Chateau de Nages Costières de Nimes ($12.75), a blend of roussanne and grenache blanc. Both represent exceptional value, offering vibrant fruit flavours and lively acidity. From the Coteaux du Languedoc, try the 1998 Pic St-Loup from Patrick Lesec ($22), a meaty bastard of a wine, brimming with ripe berry/plum flavors and spicy, mildly earthy notes. Also from the Coteaux du Languedoc, try the 1998 Chateau Pech-Redon Cuvée Réservée ($16), a soft, velvety style red, or the 1998 Château de Lascaux ($19), a big, Bwolshy red from one of the rising stars of the region. From the Fitou region, have a go at the 1998 Combe Aval Fitou ($15.75) from the domaine of Comte Cathare, another gutsy red that begs to be paired with roast lamb, or any other gamey meat. A terrific bargain can be found in the form of the 1997 Chateau de Cabriac ($12.60), a soft, plummy wine with a touch of spice from the highly regarded Corbières appellation. Finally, if you are looking for a reasonably priced red that thinks it is a Rhône superstar, try the 1998 Chateau Maris Minervois La Liviniere ($22.50). This is a rich, complex red that would benefit from several years of cellaring, but if you want to drink it now I would suggest pairing it with one of the tastier woodland creatures, such as venison. Cheers!

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