"A new era has dawned in the southern French wine-growing
region known as the Languedoc."
--Wine Spectator, "Languedoc Wakes Up" March 2000
The Languedoc is now drawing worldwide attention
for its fine red wines and sweet muscats. During your stay
at Le Petit Rêve,
you can experience this revolution right down the street --
at Domaine Terres Georges, the cave of local
winemakers Roland and Anne-Marie Coustal.
Just a few years after establishing their cave,
their wine has made its mark: The Terres Georges 2001 Merlot
won a gold medal at an agricultural products competition in
Paris, and Le Point, a national French news weekly,
recently pronounced the Merlot worthy of the country's grand
winemaking chateaux.
The Coustals are passionate about their artisanal
approach to making wine, and are committed to maintaining
the traditional methods of harvesting grapes and aging wine
that larger, more commercial winemakers have long abandoned.
Roland and Anne-Marie welcome visitors to their cave;
a tour with Roland will be one of the highlights of your stay
at Le Petit Rêve,
and will provide you with a personal view into the world of
innovative new Languedoc vignerons.
The good buzz about Languedoc wine is getting louder. In
a recent article titled "A Rebirth in the Soil of Southwest
France," New York Times wine writer Frank J. Prial
waxed enthusiastic about the quality of the region’s syrah
wines, "which at [their] best can rival Rhone wines like Cornas,
Côte Rôtie and Châteauneuf-du-Pape."
The Languedoc visitor thus has the opportunity to taste (and
bring home) outstanding wines that don’t break the bank: Excellent
wines can be had for €4-8. The countryside and villages near
Le Petit Rêve are filled with wineries and tasting rooms.
Unlike the tourist-clogged chateaux of Bordeaux and Burgundy,
Languedoc wineries tend to be humble affairs - the person
waiting on you in the tiny tasting room is probably the son
or daughter of the wine maker.
