Faugères AOC
Encyclopedia
Faugères is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée
(AOC) in the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region in France
and is named after Faugères
. It is also known as Coteaux-du-Languedoc Faugères and lies 20 km northwest of Béziers
, on the hills of Hérault
. It is a local classification within the Coteaux-du-Languedoc AOC
.
, i.e. around the start of the 19th century. Local wine was in fact mainly turned into a type of eau de vie
, using a Charentaise distilling method that was practically unknown in the Languedoc. This method was called 'fine', so this eau de vie was named 'Fine Faugères'.
AD, was de Falgarias. This in turn is taken from the Latin filicaria, meaning "fern" in English, and translating into French as "fougère".
. This shist is metamorphic rock, the result of excessive pressure on clay deposits during the Paleozoic Era and the formation of the Massif Central
to the North. Schist is characterised by its capacity to retain large amounts of water (up to a third of its volume) and its heat-storing properties, absorbing heat during the day and releasing it at night. Faugères winemakers often say that their grapes ripen overnight. A geological curiosity exists in the Cabrerolles
commune - the meteorite hole, a kind of meteor crater whose origins remain uncertain. The crater is in a place named 'Le Clot'. The outer rim of the crater has vines planted on it, which produces a wine called 'Domaine du Météore'.
with mountainous influences, characterised by gentle winters, hot, dry summers, and a low amount of rainfall that comes mainly in the winter months. Its main winds are the Tramontane
, a dry and cold wind that blows clouds away, and the Marin
, a humid wind that, contrarily, brings clouds in. The climate can sometimes be very harsh. The table below records temperatures and rainfall for 2007:
, Cabrerolles
(Hameaux de Lentheric, Liquière and Aigues-Vives), Caussiniojouls
, Faugères
, Fos
, Laurens
and Roquessels
, Mourvèdre
and Syrah for red and rosé wines. Rousanne, white Grenache
, Marsanne and Vermentino
for white wines. 80% of grape production is used to make red wine.
and Coteaux du Languedoc areas.
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
(AOC) in the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and is named after Faugères
Faugères, Hérault
Faugères is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.The village is particularly well known for the quality of the appellation of wines, Faugères AOC, that it lends its names to....
. It is also known as Coteaux-du-Languedoc Faugères and lies 20 km northwest of Béziers
Béziers
Béziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event...
, on the hills of Hérault
Hérault
Hérault is a department in the south of France named after the Hérault river.-History:Hérault is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
. It is a local classification within the Coteaux-du-Languedoc AOC
Languedoc wine
Languedoc - Roussillon wine, including the vin de pays labeled Vin de Pays d'Oc, is produced in southern France. While "Languedoc" can refer to a specific historic region of France and Northern Catalonia, usage since the 20th century has primarily referred to the northern part of the...
.
The Middle Ages
Faugères is not the oldest winemaking area in Languedoc. In the Middle Ages, its land was mainly used for growing grain, and olive trees. Some vines were also grown, however, but mainly for producing altar wine.The Modern Period
Faugères really came into bloom as a wine-producing area around the time of the French revolutionFrench Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, i.e. around the start of the 19th century. Local wine was in fact mainly turned into a type of eau de vie
Eau de vie
An eau de vie is a clear, colorless fruit brandy that is produced by means of fermentation and double distillation...
, using a Charentaise distilling method that was practically unknown in the Languedoc. This method was called 'fine', so this eau de vie was named 'Fine Faugères'.
Recent history
- 1948: The Faugères terroirTerroirTerroir comes from the word terre "land". It was originally a French term in wine, coffee and tea used to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties...
's borders were defined, in the aftermath of the Second World War. Its borders remain the same to this day.
- 1955: Faugères wine was classified as Appellation d'Origine Vin de Qualité Supérieure (VDQSVDQSVin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure , usually abbreviated as VDQS, is the second highest category of French wine, below Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in rank, but above Vin de pays . VDQS is sometimes written as AOVDQS, with AO standing for Appellation d'Origine...
) for each wine style; red, white and rosé.
- 1960s: Violent storms brought destruction to part of the Faugères vineyards, with torrential rain that gullied the vines. Certain plots of land were completely buried in landslides. Vines were replanted along the contour lines of the newly formed land.
- 1982: Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC Faugères) classification replaced VDQS for the red and rosé Faugères wines.
- 2000: Eau de vie production was recommenced in Faugères.
- 2005: AOC replaced VDQS status for the white Faugères wines.
Etymology
The name of the AOC comes from the village Faugères, whose earliest known written form, dating back to 934934
Year 934 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* The Ziyarid army occupies Ahvaz.* The Goryeo army defeats Hubaekje forces in present-day Hongseong County.- Europe :...
AD, was de Falgarias. This in turn is taken from the Latin filicaria, meaning "fern" in English, and translating into French as "fougère".
Orography
The appellation area covers 1800 hectares, and consists mainly of primary, schist soils. The majority of the region's vineyards have full southern exposure and lie on rugged slopes. Some hills in the northern area of the appellation area reach altitudes higher than 500m. The Departmental Director of Agriculture, in collaboration with 'SAFER' (French regional societies for the development of land and rural establishments), have experimented setting up vineyards along contour lines, which serves to limit the effects of erosion..Geology
The Faugères AOC soil is mainly composed of schistSchist
The schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
. This shist is metamorphic rock, the result of excessive pressure on clay deposits during the Paleozoic Era and the formation of the Massif Central
Massif Central
The Massif Central is an elevated region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaux....
to the North. Schist is characterised by its capacity to retain large amounts of water (up to a third of its volume) and its heat-storing properties, absorbing heat during the day and releasing it at night. Faugères winemakers often say that their grapes ripen overnight. A geological curiosity exists in the Cabrerolles
Cabrerolles
Cabrerolles is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
commune - the meteorite hole, a kind of meteor crater whose origins remain uncertain. The crater is in a place named 'Le Clot'. The outer rim of the crater has vines planted on it, which produces a wine called 'Domaine du Météore'.
Climate
This terroir enjoys a Mediterranean climateMediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
with mountainous influences, characterised by gentle winters, hot, dry summers, and a low amount of rainfall that comes mainly in the winter months. Its main winds are the Tramontane
Tramontane
Tramontane is a classical name for a northern wind. The exact form of the name and precise direction varies from country to country. The word came to English from Italian tramontana, which developed from Latin trānsmontānus , "beyond the mountains/across the mountains", referring to the alps in...
, a dry and cold wind that blows clouds away, and the Marin
Marin (wind)
The Marin is a warm, moist wind in the Gulf of Lion of France, blowing from the southeast or south-southeast onto the coast of Languedoc and Roussillon. It brings rain to this region which it has picked up crossing the Mediterranean, and also can bring coastal fog...
, a humid wind that, contrarily, brings clouds in. The climate can sometimes be very harsh. The table below records temperatures and rainfall for 2007:
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum Average Temperature (°C) | 6 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 17 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 15 | 9 | 7 | 14,75 |
| Minimum Average Temperature (°C) | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 6,8 |
| Average Temperatures (°C) | 3,5 | 4 | 7 | 8,5 | 12,5 | 17 | 18,5 | 18,5 | 15,5 | 11,5 | 6,5 | 4,5 | 9,8 |
| Rainfall (avg. in mm) | 36,2 | 27,0 | 23,9 | 43,8 | 46,0 | 34,9 | 22,9 | 31,1 | 50,0 | 60,1 | 45,1 | 37,7 | 461,7 |
| Source: MSN Weather | |||||||||||||
Overview
The Faguères appellation stretches across the following communes: AutignacAutignac
Autignac is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Cabrerolles
Cabrerolles
Cabrerolles is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
(Hameaux de Lentheric, Liquière and Aigues-Vives), Caussiniojouls
Caussiniojouls
Caussiniojouls is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.-See also:*Communes of the Hérault department...
, Faugères
Faugères, Hérault
Faugères is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.The village is particularly well known for the quality of the appellation of wines, Faugères AOC, that it lends its names to....
, Fos
Fos, Hérault
Fos is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.-See also:*Communes of the Hérault department...
, Laurens
Laurens, Hérault
Laurens is a commune in the Hérault département in Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France.-See also:*Communes of the Hérault department...
and Roquessels
Roquessels
Roquessels is a commune in the Hérault department in Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France.Inhabitants of Roquessels are called Roquesselois-Monuments:...
Grape varieties
The main grape varieties in Faugères are Carignan, Cinsault, GrenacheGrenache
Grenache is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world. It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditions such as those found in Spain, the south of France, and California's San Joaquin Valley. It is generally spicy, berry-flavored and soft on the palate with a relatively...
, Mourvèdre
Mourvèdre
Mourvèdre , Mataró or Monastrell is wine grape variety used to make both strong, dark red wines and rosés. It is an international variety grown in many regions around the world....
and Syrah for red and rosé wines. Rousanne, white Grenache
Grenache Blanc
Grenache blanc is a variety of white wine grape that is related to the red grape Grenache. It is mostly found in Rhône wine blends and in northeast Spain. Its wines are characterized by high alcohol and low acidity, with citrus and or herbaceous notes. Its vigor can lead to overproduction and...
, Marsanne and Vermentino
Vermentino
Vermentino is a late-ripening white grape variety, primarily found in Italian wine. It is widely planted in Sardinia, in Liguria primarily under the name Pigato, to some extent in Corsica, in Piedmont under the name Favorita, and in increasing amounts in Languedoc-Roussillon. The leaves are dark...
for white wines. 80% of grape production is used to make red wine.
Cultivation methods
Vines are planted against the slope to gain maximum sunlight from southern exposure. After the awful storms in the 1960s, however, Faugères winemakers replanted a lot of vines along the terrain's contour lines. The vines are now adapted to the natural slope of the schist hillsides. Because of this, the erosive effects of heavy autumnal rain are much smaller than in other vineyards in the Languedoc. Similar projects are being considered by the Saint-Chinian AOCSaint-Chinian AOC
Saint-Chinian is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée in the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region in France and is named after Saint-Chinian.-Prehistoric and antiquity:...
and Coteaux du Languedoc areas.