Bread, Wine & Cheese

The Minervois is a major wine producing region in its own right, whose capital used to be Minerve (a beautiful Cathar village with a tragic history overlooking a deep gorge), the most famous appelation within the Minervois is La Liviniere. The area is attracting other wine investors too. In the vicinity of the village there are excellent cycling, walking and horse riding routes through the vineyards. The village itself boasts several notable wine producers including Jean-Baptiste Senat.

The Minervois, like the Languedoc in general, has been strong in the cooperative movement with almost every commune having its 'Cave Cooperative', sometimes even more than one where local traditions and jealousies were very strong. Recent years have, however, seen the healthy development of individual 'Caves' where the individual producers are attempting to differentiate their products in order to gain market advantages. This has inevitably had an effect on the strength of the Coops. The trend towards individuals' attempts at market differentiation has also lead to an increasing development of single variety wines and also a proliferation of labels adapted to various market sectors, sometimes showing imaginary chatâux.

Languedoc cuisine relies heavily on local produce: olive oil, tomato sauces, and herbs from the wild garrigue landscapes of the region such as thyme, rosemary and sorrel. It's rare to find sheep and cattle grazing in the fields in this part of France, hence dairy products are often absent from menus, with the result that heart disease in the south is much less prevalent than in northern France where butter and cream are used much more widely.

Good food is extremely important to the people of the region. Work stops for a couple of hours at lunchtime as colleagues or family members get together to 'break a crust'. Eating is an extremely social affair in Languedoc - meals can often take in several courses and can last for hours as bits of news and gossip are exchanged around the table.

The cuisines and ingredients used in Languedoc Roussillon, south France are surprisingly varied. Virtually every town or district in Languedoc has a favourite dish 'often based on locally available produce. Although strictly traditional to the Toulouse area, perhaps the best known pan-regional dish is cassoulet - a filling casserole of haricot beans, mutton, pork or sausages and preserved goose - truly delicious and a real winter warmer. Another winter favourite, particularly in the more mountainous regions away from the coast is wild boar which will feature on many menus. Appreciated for its succulent gamey taste, the meat is occasionally for sale in some of the larger supermarkets.

Another good example of the local cuisine is confit de canard, delicious pieces of duck that have been preserved in the bird's natural fat for extra taste. Olives are traditionally grown in the Uzège, the extensive scrubby woodlands which extend north of Uzès. Used in countless dishes and also turned into the delicious olive paste, tapenade, olives are a particular favourite on the Languedoc dinner table -and a popular ingredient in the region's dishes. This area is also well known for its truffles, a potent black fungus which grows elusively on the roots of certain trees and is used to flavour everything from olive oil to omelets - though at quite a hefty price. As for other vegetables, asparagus and wild mushrooms are used widely in season. Apricots, peaches and cherries are just some of the region's excellent home-grown fruits and are greatly appreciated when used in the dessert, clafoutis, a sweet pudding made of egg batter.

On the coast, the town of Sète is famous for its bourride, a fish stew with a garlicky mayonnaise. Other fish such as sea bass, tuna and sardines, proliferate on the menus of many seafood restaurants. Languedoc is also an excellent place to sample fresh oysters and mussels which are cultivated in the shallow lagoons on the coastal strip. It's here that you'll find the region's rice and salt production, notably around the Camargue.

In Languedoc Roussillon's upland areas, there's greater emphasis on dishes with figs which grow in plenitude at these slightly higher altitudes. This is the area for various goats cheeses and honey which comes in several varieties, the most expensive is lavender honey.

Move towards the border between south France and Spain and it's plain to see that the cuisine of south-western Languedoc takes on a distinctly Catalan flavour. Not only is there a marked increase in the consumption of both olive oil and tapas, but there's also a preponderance of grilled pork sausages to be found on menus. A particular favourite is the hearty soup known as ollada, popular on both sides of the Pyrenees.