Wines of Southern France Banyuls, Maury

Collioure, Southern France – A small fishing village made famous by Matisse and Picasso

In southern France, just before the Spanish border, the grey granite of the Pyrenees Mountains drops dramatically down to the Mediterranean Sea. Natural harbors hug the shores with restaurants, palm trees, ancient fortresses, castles and palaces. Collioure, a picturesque village, is framed between the ocean and mountains. The scent of fish envelopes you as you descend towards the beach and wonderful restaurants.

Collioure has dramatic architecture along its shores; the 12th century Royal Palace built as a summer residence by the King of Majorca and the 17th century Church of Notre-Dame-des-Anges. For many centuries it remained a fishing village but in the early 1900’s Matisse and Picasso “discovered” Collioure and spent many years painting the beautiful landscape and trading their painting with the owner of Templar Hotel in exchange for a place to stay. Fauvism was born and the town grew in popularity.

Today, the village of Collioure has created the Fauvism Trail, where you can trace the footsteps of Picasso and Matisse and see why they fell in love in with this beautiful village.

The village of Collioure is within the AOC region, appellation d'origine controlle, of Collioure, Banyuls and Banyuls Grand Cru. Those AOC regions are combined in the four villages of Collioure, Port Vendres, Banyuls Sur Mer, and Cerberus. Wines that fall within the AOC must adhere to certain quality standards; the wine is usually a mixture of a specific types of grapes, the type of grape used in the wine is defined, along with a minimum and maximum percentage of a specific mixture of grapes for the wine. The fields must fall within a certain geographic area; the maximum number of vines planted per acre is defined along with the maximum yield per acre.

In spite of the fact that the AOC Collioure , AOC Banyuls and AOC Banyuls Grand Cru encompass the same villages, their wines are very different. AOC Collioure focuses on red and rose wines. However, the Banyuls wines are a bit more complicated. They go through several unique processes. First they must pass through a process called “maceration” in which the grapes with their skins are allowed to soak in the juice for a period of time. Another process involved is “mutage”. This occurs when grape or brandy alcohol is added to the wine during the fermentation process. The alcohol stops the fermentation process, allowing the wine to retain its naturally sweet taste left from the grapes. The addition of the grape alcohol at the beginning of the fermentation process can create wines that have higher alcohol content, up to 20% by volume. Banyuls Grand Cru must be aged in wood for at least 30 months. The wines from Banyuls are also called “Vins du Natural” which is a term for a sweet wine.

Roussillon France – Home of Cathar ghosts and Maury wine
For centuries, the Roussillon region of France, was considered the hinterland of France. Fortresses were built during the 11th and 12th centuries in strategic positions scattered in a hop scotch pattern across the very top of the mountain ridges between Perpignan to Carcassone. This was an area in which the border was always being redefined. One century it was owned by Spain, the next by France. These French castles were designed to maximize their view over the surrounding valley an in effort to prevent the Kings of Spain from expanding their realm of influence.

During the 12th century, the castles took on a different significance. The Cathars, a Gnostic religion, were gaining a strong influence in the southern region of France. The nobility in this area felt more of an allegiance to the Cathars, who they considered people of their land rather than the remote religious leader of the Pope. They offered their castles and fortresses as a refuge in what became the last stronghold for the Cathars. As the Pope grew incensed at what he considered the heresy of the Cathars, crusades were instigated with the sole determination of destroying the Cathars. Because the nobility protected the Cathars and their families within the castle walls, their fortresses became the focal point of major battles in which the Pope tried to rid France of the Cathars. They were massacred and burned at the stake and when that did not destroy every remnant of their religion, the Inquisition was launched. Eventually the Cathars were eliminated. Today those ancient ruins survived the battles and the passage of time; appear as ghosts, sitting silently atop of the mountains. They poke their heads through the clouds while you drive through one of the major wine producing regions in France. On the highest points of these mountains overlooking the wine valleys, you can catch a glimpse of the “Cathar Castles” as they continue to keep watch, as they have for centuries.

One of the major wine trails and Cathar castle routes in this section of southern France is found along the D117 road that runs from Perpignan and continues west through a valley framed on either side by mountains. Chalk and clay form the soil for the vineyards that are scattered between the wild brush that forms the landscape in this agricultural region. The majority of the wine in this area is Rivesaltes AOC; however, Maury wine is a small appellation that has chiseled out a section of land in the midst of the AOC Rivesaltes.


Maury wines are the only wines in this region that are allowed to produce a sweet wine. There have been comparisons of the Maury wine to a port. But the wines I tasted at Mas Amiel, the largest independent producer in Maury, tasted more like the ice wine produced in Canada. Some of their wines had a bit of a tartness added to the sweet flavor. They did not have the heavier taste associated with a port. Mas Amiel has a huge estate surrounding the town of Maury. Signs along the road point towards their vineyards and “gustation” or wine tasting rooms. As you drive through the valley you see their logo, MA etched into the side of the mountain. Surrounding their tasting rooms are “bonbonne” bottles filled with wine that is going through the initial fermentation process. The Maury wines are another type of fortified wine and there are several versions of the wine depending on the length of the wine in the barrels. Although some of the older wines have a heavier texture that can be compared to port, the younger wines while still sweet are lighter in taste. Everyone always says the Maury wines are the perfect dessert wine, and perfect to go with Chocolate. But I find that they would also be enjoyable as an aperitif. You are not going to sit down and drink several glasses of this wine, but rather you are going to slip slowly and enjoy the exquisite and unique taste of a delightful wine.

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