Grape Escape Languedoc – Rousillon. Travelling across the Catalan border into Southern France, we encounter Rousillon. One of the most unique wines of this region is Maury, a type of sweet vins doux naturels that reflects the winemaking tradition that sets Rousillon apart from the more northern regions of France. 

Maury wines are produced from the Grenache grape variety, ranging in color from white to red and rosé. The wines, fortified from the presence of schist in the soil, are incredibly sweet and tend to have an intense and aromatic fruit flavor.

Maury wine is named after the small town where it is produced, surrounded by steep limestone cliffs. High above the vineyards of Maury stand the ruins of the Queribus Castle, a fortress built centuries ago to defend the French border against Spain. In April 2010, Wine Pleasures organised a grape escape to the Languedoc-Rousillon wine region for an Oslo based wine club and of course Maury just had to be included in the itinerary. Domiane du Dernier Bastion were up for our visit and you can see us all discovering these unique wines in the video below: