They call these winemakers neighbors and are helping introduce them to the American customer. Owners Carol and Steve live in Languedoc-Roussillon for the majority of the year. Many don’t have websites, so it’s unlikely you’d discover them yourself. You’ll find mostly organic whites, reds, rosés, and bubblies from woman-owned winemakers producing under 500 cases a year. The majority of bottles they sell are around $20, with the “expensive” ones being only $40-$50.
If you’re interested in trying this buzzy wine region, Princess & Bear Wines is your must-try Seattle wine store. So really what you get is amazing wine at affordable prices. Every IGP Pays d’Oc wine is tasted anually by a panel to ensure high quality. While it may seem these turn of events would introduce lower quality, winemakers still need to meet specific requirements for yield, acidity, and sulfur and alcohol levels to pass the regulator’s rigorous approval process. The result was a boom in innovation you don’t see in established and heavily-regulated wine regions like Bordeaux.
That’s when the Languedoc-Roussillon region created an IGP designation, IGP Pays d’Oc, which opened up “freedom of expression” for winemakers to use more than 80 grape varietals instead of the just 6 allowed with the AOP designation. This brought an influx of new skills and ideas to the region, planting the seed for innovation.Ģ009 is when the flame of creativity was really ignited. Winemakers around the world moved to Languedoc-Roussillon to snatch up land in an attempt to save it. To save the wine industry, France started telling growers to rip out their vines so they can reduce supply and increase prices. It earned a reputation of producing quantity over quality wine, and many blame it for causing the wine surplus. This surplus slashed the cost of wine, hurting producers and marring France’s famed wine reputation. To explain, let me take you back to around 2005 when France was experiencing a “wine lake”, which essentially means they had more wine than they could sell. How can France’s largest wine region evolve? And how is it that most Americans never heard of it? But what’s interesting is that Languedoc-Roussillon is the largest wine producing region in France. You see, Languedoc-Roussillon is going through a wine renaissance right now. But just as the west coast was pioneering American wine in the 70s, so too are the people in Languedoc-Roussillon shaking up the French wine industry. That’s especially true in Seattle, where we tend to lean on wines grown in Washington. Yet, the wines from this area are still relatively unknown in the US. The New York Times caught wind and also recommended it in 2019.Īll of this is to say, people are starting to take notice of the Langeudoc-Roussillon region. In 2018, Vogue followed suit and said to skip Bordeaux and head to Languedoc-Roussillon. In 2017, famous British wine writer, Jancis Robinson, who was voted the world’s most influential wine critic, wrote for French value, head to Southern France. That’s because they are the only ones to import wines from the approximately 35 small winemakers they personally vetted from Languedoc-Roussillon, an under-the-radar wine region in southern France. Heck, you won’t find them anywhere else in the United States. You won’t find the wines Princess & Bear Wines sells anywhere else in Seattle. Website | neighborhood: South Park ( get directions) | best for: affordable wines from small southern France producers
Thank you for supporting the brands that support me! I’m excited to partner with Princess & Bear Wines to share their story, gush about why I love them, and to provide a special reader discount.
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