Pays d'Oc is the PGI for red, white and rosé wines that are produced over a wide area of the southern coast of France. The PGI catchment area corresponds roughly to the Languedoc-roussillon">Languedoc-Roussillon wine region, one of the largest wine regions in France. The area covers all wines that are not produced under the strict laws that govern AOC-level appellations in the regions: among them, Corbières, Minervois and the Languedoc appellation itself. The Pays d'Oc PGI is arguably the most important in France, producing the majority of the country's PGI wines.
Five separate departments fall under the PGI (Hérault, Aude, Gard, Pyrénées-Orientales and six communes in southern Lozère), which is delimited by administrative rather than geographical boundaries. The name therefore covers a wide variety of terrain, from the mountain ranges of the southern Massif Central to the coastal plains of the Camargue crossed by rivers. Vineyards jostle for position in the Garrigue landscape. The Pays d'Oc has a MediterraneanClimate with hot, Dry summers and mild winters.
As its name suggests, the folle blanche is a white grape variety. Originally from the west of France, it was used to make Cognac and Armagnac brandies as early as the 17th century and was renowned for its finesse and fragrant nose. Replaced by Ugni Blanc following the phylloxera invasion, the folle blanche is now grown in small quantities. It is a grape variety with juicy, sweet, medium-sized bunches and berries with a white/green skin. Its worst enemy is grey rot. As it is an early variety and its buds come out early, it is particularly afraid of spring frosts. It likes short pruning, a method that limits the production of grapes but increases their quality. It also prefers mineral-rich soils, and its vineyards cover about 3,000 hectares. It is used in the production of the AOC Gros-plant du Pays nantais to produce a lively white wine with little alcohol but marked acidity.
white wines from the region of Pays d'Oc go well with generally quite well with dishes of pasta, vegetarian or poultry such as recipes of ricotta and spinach lasagna, goat cheese and bacon quiche or moroccan chicken tagine.
