Athos’ Recommended Top 3 Languedoc Reds for Christmas

All 3 wines listed below are stocked by Athos, and are sold internationally and may be available through your local Wine Merchant:

  1. Chateau La Voulte Gasparet, AOC Corbieres
  2. Chateau Ollieux Romanisse, AOC Corbieres
  3. Borie du Maurel, AOC Minervois (Belle de Nuit or Cuvee Syllah)

 Athos’ Top3 all contain blends of 4 typical Languedoc grape varieties:

  • Grenache (versatile with chocolate & pepper notes)
  • Syrah:  weighty & fruity
  • Mourvedre:  used in smaller doses than Grenache/Syrah for dark colour & leathery notes
  • Carignan:  (sometimes the Make or Break grape (!).  Vinified well, it adds depth and silky tannins.

Suitable food combinations:  Corbieres & Minervois reds will blend deliciously with winter menus items like:  turkey, duck, beef potato/garlic dishes, winter vegetables like red cabbage.  Cheese!

Recommended Languedoc Reds for Christmas

A Festive way to Warm Up: Vin Chaud, by Athos

 

Mulled WINE
1 bottle of red wine (doesn’t have to be from Languedoc, top-quality OR your favourite!)
1½ cups apple or orange juice
¼ cup of brandy (Armagnac or Cognac)
1 orange, sliced in rings, with skin on
¼ cup of sugar (to taste)
3 cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg

Put all ingredients into a saucepan and turn on low heat. Warm through until hot, without boiling. Serve on a cold winter’s day in large, sturdy goblets.

A Traditional Languedoc Christmas

An excuse to celebrate is never far from the French mind and culture.  Christmas sees spectacular Buches de Noels (Yule Logs) displayed in the local bakery.  The Christmas lights and signs have gone up in the village 10 days ago, much to the delight of small children waiting for Pere Noel’s arrival.

A traditional Languedoc Christmas celebration begins with the selection of children’s rides and games at one of the local Marches de Noel on Christmas Eve.  Our annual favourite is in Narbonne.  Surrounded by mulled wine, snow-sprayed pine trees and Christmas market-stalls, children wait with anticipation to watch the Christmas parade which features the arrival of Pere Noel.  The rest of Christmas Eve follows with a traditional midnight Mass, and a very late night of opening gifts, eating, drinking and being merry.  Joyeux Noel!

A Languedoc Christmas market, borrowed from D. Monniaux’s Wikipedia excerpt