Then along came Australia and other countries with exciting labels - the 'critter' wines - with handy hints written on the back (in English!) and most of the Midi wines fell out of favour. Only the -ever-popular XV and similar wines stayed the course.
But times change and customers are searching out 'new' wines, so I thought I should look again at my old love. Easyjet from Bristol to Toulouse is good. If you don't get put in category B! What did I do?
We stayed Sunday night with an old friend who chucked in being a UK lawyer to run four nice 'gites' in the peaceful countryside at Labastide d'Anjounear Castelnaudary www.enrouger.com and likes an excuse to get in his unique takeaway; huge bowls of the most delicious Cassoulet in the world from a nearby restaurant. Set off past the Cité of Carcassonne, so stunning from the outside - getting a bit Disneyish inside. Though the Cathar Castle is worth a visit.
Its nice to leave the French motorways behind. They are so good - quite addictive. But I do love to be reminded of what it was like to drive here before they existed.
So we went 'direct', except that the winding, 'chemins tordus' from Limoux across to the Agly Valley are anything but direct. Lots of hairpins and one bit where the road loops totally round and under itself. So leave plenty of time, put the top down and admire the towering crags, deep gorges, forests, flowers and unspoilt rural charm. And let someone else drive. I did - and went one better - with one old mate from school to drive (because he's a boy-racer and won't let anyone else touch his precious BMW) and another who despite all evidence thinks he can map-read! It's the weekend, we have no rush and so start ticking off the Cathar castles. 2; Puilaurens in dark forests and steep crags is awesome and frightening 
and a very steep climb for old chaps. It needs repair - so do the old chaps as it happens. But worth the pain. As you descend the Agly valley the forests give way to vines and the aspect widens and you enter the most spectacularly beautiful wine valley in France. This is what I once fell in love with.
and a very steep climb for old chaps. It needs repair - so do the old chaps as it happens. But worth the pain. As you descend the Agly valley the forests give way to vines and the aspect widens and you enter the most spectacularly beautiful wine valley in France. This is what I once fell in love with. The high and jagged, almost-vertical, white rock walls either side enclose a flat but rolling floor still covered in vineyards but with very few houses. Hereabouts habitation is huddled together against both the violent winds and even more violent invaders. The villages St. Paul, Maury, Estagel, Baixas etc ... I loved them and this valley on first sight in 1971 when I came over the pass from Cucugnan in the Languedoc and saw all this beauty and wished I'd landed here rather than Bordeaux. But then I was hugely disappointed to find the whole valley was dedicated to Vin Doux Naturel - sweet wine like port - and refused to countenance going back to making the (less profitable) 'Vin Sec', as they call it here. There was a craze for the sweet stuff - only dating hereabouts from the 1930's - but the craze has gone now, so for the last few years they have made dry red wines again and we can now get our XV du President from here. And it is superb stuff. If you like XV (and most do, it seems) watch out ... we currently have ageing in our cellars some even more amazing stuff that comes from the steepest, driest blackest schiste soils. This is the pet project our our Mark Hoddy; winemaker at Le Chai au Quai.
Though still young, Mark lived several years in Maury whilst ressurrecting some ancient, vertiginous vineyards. Here he met Elsa who comes from the village next to us in Bordeaux but who also came here to buy inexpensive vineyards and bring them back to glory.When I tell them I wish I'd also moved here they say it would have been a mistake. Mark says he was here 18 months before anyone in the Maury bar spoke to him! And Mark, I can assure you is a notoriously 'sociable' chap! Elsa, who is gorgeous and lively, says absolutely nothing happens here. They both now come down here to tend their vines and top up their barrels. But they don't stay any more. The villages are depopulated. Lots of old people. The young like modern bungalows but it seems they don't allow much new building here. Which is good for the beauty of the place but not too good for its life.
Mark and Elsa also say its still incredibly hard to make wine pay here. The old (very) vines produce so little. And on these slopes everything is by hand and so costs more. And there's been five years of drought to reduce yields much further. Which concentrates the wine still further of course, and pushes up the strength. Many in Britain think the higher strength wines they now see are a cunning marketing ploy when in fact its largely just a result of global warming.
But at least the vines are still here. You can see most of the hardest to cultivate vineyards on the steepest slopes have been pulled - which is a pity because these have the best fruit, but hard-pressed growers find it hard to resist the cash the government offers for grubbing up and logically its the least profitable vines that go, even if they are the best.
In 1971 - and long after - the co-operative village wineries were virtually the only act in town, making 90%+ of the total production, from hundreds of small farmers. Now there are a growing number of big estates, some of them very marketing-savvy. Robert Parker has dished out a lot of points round here, recently. As a result a few of the smarter producers are now making good money. But only a few. Often guys from Bordeaux. Whilst the remaining smallholders still struggle to make ends meet. But this area will be OK, I think. It will survive and prosper. But life here will be very different. The wines will get better still.
Maury already has a Michelin star restaurant - over-fancy, it has to be said. The sort of place where waiters can easily get quite cross and stamp their little feet if you fail to pay attention. I preferred the place where a stubbly old guy with an unlit gitane stuck to his lip, unceremoniously ladled out lumps of steaming wild-boar 'avec frites'. He's probably now been locked up by health and safety.
Went to the co-op cellar to try the XV. Up top, walking across the vats opening the trapdoors to drop the little steel cup-thingy on its string into the inky black stuff and hauling out glassfuls of that heady, spicy fruity aroma-y delight. Its very, very good this year.
Then we went over the pass to Cucugnan to stay at the Auberge Vigneron. Basic but friendly. Barbara and I stayed in Cucugnan in '76 or thereabouts. We spent two days exploring the little ravines and sunning ourselves by cool creeks ... 'till something - as usual - went wrong at the office and we had to get home fast. I really must bring her back for longer soon.
We sold the wine of Cucugnan back then. Basically - because no-one had ever heard of it - on just a photo of the lonely little place and a translation of Alphonse Daudet's short story 'Le Curé de Cucugnan'. I forget the story about the priest's sermon, but it sure sold a lot of wine! Now the village has its own Vin de Pays it'd be nice to do it again.
Following morning the Tramontane was blowing hard and rattling the shutters. Probaly not the best day to climb to Cathar Castle 3; Quéribus which stands precariously high on a single pinnacle of rock. Hanging on for dear life, we were, but an amazing vertiginous view to the sea and the Pyrenees. Young Elsa revived us with a tasting of her wines at her Domaine Eternel - also high-perched on the southern valley wall. And she and Mark rustled up a lovely lunch before they shut up house put out two weeks catfood for Victor and the other cat, and headed back to Bordeaux and civilisation. Whilst we went and climbed up to 4; Peyrepertuse to conclude our castle bagging.
Following day we drove due south on very minor roads winding in and out of valley after valley each with its vines and co-op. Caramany, Rasiguères etc. I have bought wine here but there's still a load of undiscovered stuff around. Its remote; vines and wineries on the brink of extinction. That might be saved. Need to be quick though.
Following day we drove due south on very minor roads winding in and out of valley after valley each with its vines and co-op. Caramany, Rasiguères etc. I have bought wine here but there's still a load of undiscovered stuff around. Its remote; vines and wineries on the brink of extinction. That might be saved. Need to be quick though.
By the evening we were approaching the coast; the Cote Vermeil; Collioure, Port Vendres and Banyuls. On the skyline appeared this vision of a solitary,tall white gothic mansion and much to our amazement it turned out we were to stay in its attic. Mark had said to visit Chateau de Valmy and his friend Valerie's new cellar (which we have bought from) and that they did B & B. So I just booked. Without checking. Its not your usual B&B! Four-star luxe rooms all modern design and technology ... and a great marble pool. Far from cheap! But we could hardly back out after the copious tasting. And Valerie and husband also run the best restaurant in Banyuls La Littorine (+hotel 'Les Elmes') which sits on its own little beach and does the freshest fish. We met up with Andree Ferrandiz who has sourced most of our Midi wines for us since 1980-something! (See her video on our website talking about the XV) and she drove so we indulged - with her (the best wine guide in the Midi) - taking us through the wine list. Wines here improve every time I visit.Next day we did a sobering walk along the coast. I think those old, terraced vineyards just look so great perched above the blue Med. - would guess they were the first vineyards in France.
Drove back to Toulouse roughly the same way. Flew home. Still category B!
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