Côtes du Roussillon is an appellation contrôlée for red, white and rosé wines from the Roussillon wine region in southern France. It covers the eastern half of the administrative district of the Pyrénées-Orientales, on the eastern edge of the Pyrenees. The western half of the Pyrenees-Orientales is simply too mountainous for effective viticulture. In the Côtes du Roussillon wine-growing area is the Aspres sub-region.
This corresponds roughly to the Aspres nature park, an area that forms the transition between the lower Pyrenees and the coastal plain of Roussillon below. Only red wines can claim the title Les Aspres, and to obtain it, they must comply with slightly stricter production restrictions than those in force for standard Côtes du Roussillon wines. The typical Côtes du Roussillon red wine is based on the classic Languedoc-Roussillon and southern Rhone Valley Grape varieties, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, perhaps with some support from their less favoured and slightly rustic cousin, Carignan. Wines from older vineyards may even include a touch of Cinsaut and perhaps even the little known Lledoner Pelut (thought to be a mutation of Grenache Noir).
Mourvèdre noir is a grape variety originating from Spain. It produces a variety of grape specially used for wine making. It is rare to find this grape to eat on our tables. This variety of grape is characterized by medium to large bunches, and grapes of medium size. Mourvèdre noir can be found in several vineyards: South-West, Cognac, Bordeaux, Provence & Corsica, Rhône valley, Languedoc & Roussillon, Loire valley, Savoie & Bugey, Beaujolais.
pink wines from the region of Côtes du Roussillon go well with generally quite well with dishes of pasta, vegetarian or appetizers and snacks such as recipes of succulent and easy to make beef lasagna, quiche with bacon and gruyère cheese or parmesan and poppy seed tuiles (5th meeting).
On the nose in the region of Côtes du Roussillon often reveals types of flavors of strawberries, stone fruit or gooseberry and sometimes also flavors of passion fruit, melon or saline. In the mouth in the region of Côtes du Roussillon is a with a nice freshness.
