Le Pays Cathare

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The IGP covers the entire Aude department and 60 communes of the Ariège department, extending the vineyards of the western Aude.
• The vineyards stretch from the Corbières massif in the south to the Montagne Noire in the north, with a hilly zone at their heart crossed by the Aude river.
• The soils reflect a complex geology in which plains, gravelly terraces, calcareous hillsides, and schists succeed one another.
• The strictly Mediterranean climate in the east gives way to marked oceanic influences in the west, with rainfall often below 500 mm along the coastal fringe and reaching up to 800 mm further inland.
• The territory is subject to strong, recurring winds: the warm, humid sea wind transforms into the Autan wind in the west, while the Cers, an often violent and desiccating westerly wind, promotes healthy grape conditions.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in France

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF) — approved 31 janvier 2023, JORF 8 février 2023
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — Confédération des Vins IGP de France