Natural Sweet Wines

A Southern treasure!

Sweet Wines South France

Averitable Southern speciality, the natural sweet wines - Frontignan Muscat, Lunel Muscat... - are produced in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, particularly in the Pyrenées-Orientales - for Maury, Rivesaltes and Banyuls Muscat (ambré, tuilé, etc.).

These sweet wines are fortified wines whose fermentation is stopped by the addition of alcohol, which increases the alcohol content while preserving the natural sugars of the grapes. It is possible to visit the region following the trail of productive sites : Lunel, Mireval, Frontignan, Saint-Jean-de-Minervois, Rivesaltes, Maury and Banyuls.

Lately, the Roussillon sweet fortified wines producers have reintroduced rosé in the Rivesaltes appellation, where three wineries were officially authorised to produce Rivesaltes Rose during the harvest of 2010, including Les Vignerons Catalans, a large operator in the Pyrénées-Orientales.

Always produced from Muscat of Alexandria and/or Muscat petits grains, these fortified wines respectively yield aromas of ripe fruit as well as those of exotic and citrus fruits.

Depending on their age, these wines are drunk either as an aperitif or with dessert. They can even be served with foie gras.