Limoux

The fame of Champagne is such that every other sparkling wine tends to be dubbed 'Champagne substitute'. However, to the winegrowers of Limoux this is more than unjust. Limoux famous for its sparkling wine production dating as far back as 1544, when the Benedictine Monks of the Abbey of St. Hilaire discovered the Methode Ancestrale some 150 years ahead of Champagne.
Today the sparkling wines are designated AOC, a status given as far back as 1938. Blanquette de Limoux as well as Cremant de Limoux are made from Mauzac, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc. These sparkling wines are underrated and undervalued as some excellent wines can be found in this region at comparatively low prices.
Not all Limoux wines are sparkling, some still white wines usually high in Chardonnay and given some oak-aging are made here, which has its own appellation labeling. There is no appellation for the reds produced in this area, because the vineyards are on relatively high ground above sea-level and the climate is noticeably less Mediterranean and more Atlantic.