Minervois

When the Romans left the vineyards of the Minervois were cherished and further developed by the Church, which also took the vine into the foothills of the Montagne Noir. The vineyards are arranged almost as an amphitheatre on a vast scale with the Canal du Midi being centre stage, Caracassonne and Narbonne the wines while the auditorium rises in terraces to the north. Sometimes the terrain is made up of polished pebbles like those to be found in dried-up rivers or of sandstone, schist and chalk. Climate variation with cool winds coming off the mountains and warm winds from the Mediterranean Sea and the variation in soil give this area a micro climate which will determine which grapes are planted and grown.
The red wines of the Minervois appellation are produced from Carignan (which can account for no more than 40% of the blend), Grenache, Lladoner Pelut, Mourvedre, and Syrah. The white wines include varietals such as Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne, Maccabeu, Bourboulenc, Rolle, Clairette and Muscat.
AOC regulations require the wine to be blended, so single varietals are necessarily Vin de Pays.