French wine region famous for reds adds white wine

White wine will be allowed under the Terrasses du Larzac appellation for the first time following a change to the rules approved by France’s national wine authority.

The decision was published in the Journal Officiel on November 5. The first bottles carrying the AOP label are expected to go on sale in April 2027.

The appellation, west of Montpellier, is best known for its red wines, which are also sold abroad, including in the UK and North America. 

Around a third of production is exported, although the relatively small quantities mean the wines can be difficult to find outside France.

Its vineyards lie on the lower slopes of the Larzac plateau, where cooler nights help balance the heat of the Mediterranean climate. 

The reds are known for their ripe fruit, spice and herbal flavours, often described as garrigue, after the wild herbs that grow across the south of France. 

Some can be kept for many years before drinking. Local growers have spent several years testing grape varieties and blends to decide which would work best in the area. 

The revised rules allow 17 varieties to be used in the white wines.

Five must make up at least 70% of each blend: carignan blanc, chenin, grenache blanc, rolle and roussanne. Other permitted grapes include clairette, maccabeu and terret.

Chenin is a notable addition. It has been grown in the area for around 40 years but is not permitted under the rules of the wider Languedoc appellation. 

Growers had to present tastings of young and older wines to persuade experts at the INAO that it belonged in the Terrasses du Larzac range.

The aim is to produce whites with fresh, fruity and floral flavours, developing more mineral notes as they age.

The process began with individual trials in vineyards before producers started tasting wines together in 2018 and 2019. They agreed to the proposed rules unanimously in April 2023 and submitted their application in July 2024. 

The INAO approved it in June this year. Sébastien Fillon, president of the appellation, said choosing the right grape varieties had taken time.

“When you plant a vine, getting it wrong is heartbreaking because you can lose 10 years or more,” he said.

Around 35 producers are now preparing to make the first white wines under the appellation. 

The white wines are expected to be produced from about 100 hectares of vineyards, with total production estimated at 2,000 hectolitres. 

The change means producers will be able to sell qualifying white wines under the Terrasses du Larzac name, alongside the reds already enjoyed by wine drinkers in France and abroad.