The wine growing region The Banyuls vineyard covers 1,700 hectares in the communes of Collioure, Port-Vendres, Banyuls and Cerbère, villages along the "Côte Rocheuse", also known as the "Côte Vermeille". In this sloping landscape, vines are planted in terraces up to 800 metres above sea level. These shale terraces, supported by low walls, can only hold two or three rows of vines. The Templars invented the Banyuls vineyard's ingenious system to combat run-off, a major component of erosion. The vineyard is criss-crossed by furrows which were first made by rain then improved by man. This system is unique to the region, where it is known as "peus de gall" (cockerel feet in Catalan).
Run-off grooves on the Banyuls hillsides

Vine varieties Grenache noir represents at least 50 % of the vatful, conferring strength and alcohol. The other main varieties used are Grenache blanc, Grenache gris, Muscat à petits grains, Muscat d'Alexandrie, Macabeu and Tourbat, also known as Malvoisie du Roussillon. Carignan, Cinsault and Syrah are also used.

A brief history... The Mediterranean basin has been a major producer of sweet wines since Antiquity. Up to the XIIIth century, they were obtained by allowing the grapes to become over-ripe. In 1285, Arnau de Vilanova from the University of Montpellier, also a doctor at the Court of the Kings of Majorca in Perpignan, discovered the secret of mutage. The operation consists of adding wine alcohol (96°) to the grape juice. The action of the yeasts is halted before they transform all the sugar into alcohol. Natural sweet wines (Vins Doux Naturels) thus keep some of the fruit's natural sweetness.

Vineyards plunge down to the Mediterranean...

		A wine waiter's tips... Banyuls are tasted chilled. Their aroma of blackberries, wild strawberries, cherries and their sweet, silky tannins give you an appetite. Drink as an aperitif with dried fruits. They can also be drunk alongside melon, sweet and sour dishes, goat's cheese and blue-veined cheese. At dessert time, serve with cakes (particularly red fruit tarts), icecream, sorbets and chocolate.

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