Discover the Corbieres region, Languedoc,France
Posted: Saturday, February 24, 2007
by michael bowditch
PSL
Firstly, where is this area? It is based in the Languedoc, south of France. It incorporates the Aude and the Pyrenees Orientales departments of the Languedoc. It is best known for its wines, but there is so much more to discover.
A holiday in the Corbières is essentially about the pleasures of wandering through almost deserted countryside (four inhabitants per square kilometer makes it one of the emptier parts of France), under a sun, which shines for 300 days of the year. You could spend every day on the beach, swimming, boating, or windsurfing, but it would be a shame because there is much to discover in the hinterland. Food and wine in the Languedoc also play a big part in the enjoyment of visiting the Languedoc.
For the nature lover, the Corbières are a treasure trove; there are said to be 75 different species of orchids here, plus the typical vegetation and wildlife of the garrigue.There is a museum of flora and fauna at Gasparets and if you speak French well enough, you may be able to join a guided tour from Lezignan, Narbonne or Lagrasse . The best season for this is spring and early summer (May-June), when there is a profusion of wild flowers, and it is not yet too hot for walking. For anyone with reasonable French we recommend a book called Les Plus Belles Balades dans l'Aude by Patrick Valette and Jacques Drelon, published by the Office National des Forêts (try tourist offices or local bookshops). It contains 40 walks of varying length and difficulty, most of them off the beaten track, all clearly explained and with plenty of supplementary information about plants, wildlife, and local curiosities.
During the summer (July and August) , when the French and France seem all to be on holiday, there is a profusion of local festivities and animations, many of them free. Leather-clad rock bands playing seventies and eighties hits complete with massive sound systems and laser shows are very popular. However there are also folk and jazz concerts, outdoor theatre, and impressive son et lumière presentations, notably in Carcassonne (one of the most important Cathar castles in France) and at the four Châteaux de Lastours. If your visit coincides with the 14th of July (Bastille Day -- a national holiday in France) many towns have firework displays, some more impressive than others. The one in Carcassonne is said to be second only to Paris in scale and splendour, and attracts up to 100,000 people. Gruissan, a small fishing village on the coast, is also developing an increasing reputation for its display, involving a sea battle on the lagoon which surrounds the town -- worth a visit if you can't face the traffic jams in and around Carcassonne.
Local markets are a delight for the keen cook (vegetarian or otherwise) staying in self-catering accommodation or looking for picnic food. Mix shoulder to shoulder with the French and tourists alike. Stalls are piled high with ripe melons, delicious peaches, huge misshapen tomatoes with an incomparably sweet flavour, new crop pink and violet garlic, every variety of goat's cheese, tubs of olives flavoured with anchovy, garlic, or chili ... Stallholders range from the charcutiers with their big refrigerated vans to the old lady with a table on which she lays out her home-produced cheese, honey, and eggs. One of the best country markets is in Lezignan on Wednesday mornings; and for the ultimate in profusion, a visit to the 100-year old Halles (covered market) in Narbonne with its 80-plus stalls is essential. Food is so varied and attractively laid out. Feast your eyes on the food, buy the food and savour the tastes.
Wine and food in the Languedoc is a vital part of the visitors’ enjoyment. Wine from the Corbiere has bags of character and very distinctive reds. Red wine is made to drink young, but many wines can be kept to mature, where they boldly open up and make delicious drinking.
The Corbieres is the largest wine growing area of the Aude. Streching from the Southern banks of the Aude to the foot hills of the Pyrennes and down to the etangs the Corbiere massif is a breathtaking spread of vine filled plains and garrigue and oak covered hills. Peppered with fortresses like Villerouge Termines and Durfort and abbeys like Frontfroide and Lagrasse the Corbieres is a truely stunning part of the world. The Corbieres achieved AOC status in 1985, by this time the area of vines had reduced down to approx 23,000 hectares (around 57,000 acres) from a height of double that. Famous for its Reds there have been some great steps forward with both it Whites and Rose. The introduction of new oak barrels- look out for "Eleve en Chene" on the labels have added a greater density of flavour to some of the better Reds with some interesting experiments going on with Chardonnay in the Servies region. The area also produces some delicious biological wine.
The area also contains many excellent restaurants where the local food can be as varied as the landscape. It is a great area to visit and will not disappoint.
Further information on http://www.aude-vie.com
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