The world of wines is ever-evolving. It relies more on nature and the human variable than simply on market economics, which makes it a very interesting study.
One such region which is swiftly reinventing itself is the South of France. I still remember when I was a student there and to bring or buy a bottle of wine from the region didn?t merit anything, least of all the recipient?s gratitude, and it wasn?t all that long ago. (I am surprisingly younger than I look.) People then saw wines from the regions of Languedoc and Roussillon with a contempt and scorn that can only be likened to what may have existed in pre-colonial India with its staunch caste system.
Today, a lot has changed. Simply put, Languedoc has managed to become one example-setting pioneer French winemaking region. Gone are the days when wine was made and sold in bulk litres by scruffy farmers. Instead, today, you will find world-class wineries with attached resorts making the best of their Mediterranean reach, and all surrounded by carefully trimmed vineyards making some world-class wines, but minus all the French-ness that painted wines a complicated caricature to begin with.
For example, the whole process that governs wine grapes and styles are not just relaxed but also a lot more accommodating. They are so avant-garde that even wine chips are not looked down upon. Yet, the one problem that continues to plague the South of France is their perceived image. People still think of them as a massive stretch of a vineyard (which they are) making very low quality (which they used to) and not worthy of anything worthy of dinner table discourse (which is not true anymore). The wines have improved in quality, texture and packaging but the image of yesteryears plagues the future for these budding wine-growing region. So good has been France with its region-wine marketing that nothing less than Champagne, Bordeaux and Burgundy seems to be sippable enough, even for people who haven?t sipped enough to know the difference!
The wines, and more importantly, the approach to wine itself in the region has altered dramatically and drastically in the past few years. Recently, a small wine exhibition held in the capital highlighted this very diversity and devotion to quality. Some quality winemakers displayed their products at a hotel for the trade to taste and probably import. I loved the wines of the group?which included Chateau Puech Haut, Vignoble Sarrail, Sieur d?Arques, Mas Becha, Mont Tauch?but pity that most importers still need to look at the right side before even tasting the wine to try and see what they can import and then reasonably and profitably sell. I don?t blame them, local laws and the ridiculous margins that hotels command are to be blamed. Between the law and the lame excuse of a sensibly priced wine list that outlets have, it is no surprise that we prefer to drown our sorrows in, or mix our joy with, another intoxicant.
As I said earlier, the world of wines is ever-evolving, but for some inexplicable reason, the views people hold about certain wines and regions don?t evolve as fast, staying sternly rooted in the past. A pity!
?The writer is a sommelier