Roussillon

The appellation is located in the Roussillon wine-growing region in southern France. It is named after the town of Rivesaltes, which lies to the north of Perpignan. It is geographically identical with the appellation Muscat de Rivesaltes, it differs in terms of the permitted grape varieties. The vineyard area totals 14.000 hectares, making this the largest area for the production of sweet, fortified vin doux naturel. Of the approximately one dozen different VDN’s in France (of which eight are in the Languedoc-Roussillon region), Rivesaltes accounts for 50%. In contrast with the AC Muscat de Rivesaltes, a wide range of grape varieties is permitted. The wine may be made from Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, Muscat d´Alexandrie, Grenache Noir, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Macabéo and Tourbat (Malvoisie du Roussillon), also, a maximum of 10% of Carignan, Cinsaut, Palomino and Syrah may be added to the blend. There are various blends, as well as varietal wines. The methods, too, vary from peoduction as white wines to variants in which the wine is left on the skins for weeks in order to obtain particularly dark wines. Wines are matured in either barrels or tanks, which brings about colour variations from light to dark, as well as differences in taste. The AC Rivesaltes Rancio is applied to wines that have been matured in barrels that are left standing out in the sun. The result is a tawny coloured wine with a typical rancio flavour. The AC Grand Roussillon is used as a catch-all for wines of lesser quality. Well-known producers include Arnaud de Villeneuve, Cazes Frères, Château La Casenove, Château Corneilla, Château de Jau, Domaine Bonzoms, Domaine Boucabeille, Domaine Boudau, Domaine des Chênes, Domaine Forca Real, Domaine de la Madeleine, Domaine de Nouvelles, Domaine Piquemal und Domaine Sarda-Malet. Other VDN appellations in Roussillon are Banyuls, Maury and Muscat de Rivesaltes.