Collioure: Pierre Gaillard Magenca

Roussillon, though administratively merged with the Languedoc and Midi-Pyrénées into Occitanie since 2016, remains a distinct wine region with a strong Catalan identity, occupying the Pyrénées-Orientales in the far south of mainland France. Enjoying one of the sunniest, driest climates in the country and a varied terroir of schist, granite, limestone, and clay, it is best known for powerful, full-bodied reds built on Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Carignan, alongside rich whites. Above all, it is the historic home of France's vins doux naturels - fortified sweet wines such as Banyuls, Maury, and Rivesaltes. Today, a dynamic community of small, often old-vine growers is earning the region growing international recognition for its dry wines.

A striking seaside appellation on the Mediterranean coast of the Roussillon, sharing the same terraced schist terroir as Banyuls but dedicated to still red, white, and rosé wines. Once under Spanish Catalan rule, it retains a distinct Catalan character in its bold, spicy, full-bodied reds, built chiefly on Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Carignan. Farming here is a real challenge: steep mountain slopes, poor soils, and fierce winds mean goblet-trained vines and some of the lowest yields in all of France. The result is a limited supply of concentrated, characterful wines that make each bottle all the more special.