How Languedoc Became the Buzziest Hub for Boxed Wine
While iconic wine regions like Chianti and Barolo have made their fortunes by leaning on tried-and-true blends, producers in Languedoc, which borders Provence and the Rhône river in southeastern France, are embracing the region’s playfulness and unpredictability as its calling card. What this has translated to recently is a boom in boxed wine.
“The Languedoc is kind of like the breeding ground for innovation in France,” says Ross Dawkins, founder of Ami Ami Vin, which sources all four of its boxed wines—rosé, white, red and orange—from the region, specifically Limoux AOC. “We’ve seen pretty much every major variety planted and blended, and this freedom to experiment has led to a very New World approach in a very Old World wine country.”
He points to Ami Ami’s white wine, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Mauzac (a grape native to Limoux), as a prime example of the region’s surprising range.
“When we’re finalizing blends, it’s hilarious,” he explains. “I’ll say, ‘Oh man if only we had 10-20% Malbec to try’ and that’s quickly answered with, ‘We have that.’” Dawkins adds that on one visit, he found a winery that blended Pinot Noir with Gewurztraminer, a combination unlikely (and nearly impossible) to find elsewhere.
While the vast majority of boxed offerings consumed in the United States are still sourced from a handful of regions across California, Australia and Italy, Languedoc is perfectly positioned to help the boxed wine industry scratch the growing itch many American drinkers feel for lower-alcohol, higher-acid chilled reds and crisp, bright white wines.
For example, fans of the latter category might gravitate towards La Petite Frog, an accessible, industry-favorite blend of native varietals like Terret and Colombard, as well as Vermentino, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscat. Meanwhile, Herrison rosé, whose porcupine-clad box is produced in collaboration between New York-based and importer Communal Brands and Domaine Rochebin, is composed entirely of Grenache sourced from the Languedoc.
A Perfect Storm
Varietal diversity aside, the Languedoc also tempts boxed and bagged wine producers with a favorable growing climate.
“We chose this region because the fruit production is amazing, and the climate is perfect for organic and biodynamic farming methods,” says Aaron Moore, who co-founded Medly Wine Co., a bagged wine company that launched earlier this year.
“The frequent winds keep the vineyards in balance,” Moore adds. “The salty sea air and the wild fennel, sage and rosemary that surrounds the vineyards work in harmony with the cobbled stone and clay soils; they all bring their notes into the grapes and also our wines, attributes that we find intriguing and hard to find anywhere else.”
Gabriella Borg Constanzi, service and wine director at the Wythe Hotel, which houses French bar-restaurants Le Crocodile and Bar Blondeau, notes that Moore and his colleagues have the Tramontane northwest winds, which blow roughly 200 days per year, to thank.
“This means low disease pressure in the vineyards, and greater ability to farm organically,” she says, adding that vines in the region see relatively less pesticide and chemical spraying; this means lower costs involved in production, which therefore lowers the costs of the final wines.
“Growers [here] are revitalizing ancient and native grape varietals that are more resilient and resistant to these challenges, [and] we use some of these varietals in our wines,” says Moore. “Overall, there are fewer challenges [to producing wine] in this region than many others around the world…it’s the perfect environment for making fruity, layered and delicious wines that are drinkable anytime.”
Moore also sees the opportunity to work with established winemakers with deep ties to the region—as opposed to corporations or massive estates, as is too often the case with boxed and bagged wines—as a key selling point for the region.
“Our partners are 15th-generation winemakers and land stewards that have been the longest family on record in the region making wine,” he says. “Opportunities to work with kind and genuine masters of their craft in our industry, with the history and knowledge that comes with it, is a dream for us.”
A Region for Every Kind of Wine Drinker
As chatter around declining wine sales continues to circulate, some industry professionals are looking to the Languedoc as a possible saving grace.
“I’d happily point any non-wine drinker to a Languedoc red and feel confident they’ll love it,” says Dawkins, adding that his favorite wines are reds where classic Rhône varieties like Syrah, Carignan and Grenache make up the base.
“I think the biggest takeaway from the region is that there is something for everyone,” agrees MacKenzie Gassett, wine director and general manager of Brooklyn’s Nura and Pan Pan Vino Vino. “[Winemakers here] can adjust to the market without mitigating quality, simply because they have so much material to work with, [and] in recent years, there's been a return to small thoughtfully produced wines of great quality.”
More French Wine Coverage
- In an episode of the Wine Enthusiast podcast, hear how producers are modernizing French wine.
- Read our guide to the Languedoc region.
- Here’s how to travel Burgundy on a budget.
- The problem with surplus wine in France.
- A wine-lover’s guide to Reims, France.
- You can’t ignore these 6 wines from Burgundy.
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