Hérault IGP Wine Festival: A Celebration of Protected Geographical Indications and Summer Events.

“We’ve been wanting to do this party for 3 years”explains Jean-Michel Sagnier, president of the Hérault IGP federation. “And we’ve been preparing for it for a few months…” The meeting, which aims to be popular, and which is supported by the Department and the Region, was set for Friday May 5 at the Domaine de Bayssan in Béziers. Nearly forty winegrowers from the various IGPs (Pays d’Hérault, Coteaux de Béziers, Upper Orb Valley, Côtes de Thau, Côtes de Thongue, Vicomte d’Aumelas, Côteaux d’Ensérune, Saint-Guilhem- le-Désert) will have their wines tasted.

“We need PGIs to be recognised”

A great showcase for these IGPs because “we need them to be recognized”, says the president. PGIs (Protected Geographical Indications), born in 2009, follow rigorously controlled specifications and testify to a territorial anchorage. “We have a diversity of territories which brings us a very wide range of wines”, underlines Pierre Calmel, the president of the Coteaux de Béziers union. With bottles ranging from €4 to €100. And a constantly increasing marketing. Regional Councilor René Moreno emphasizes, for his part, “the freedom of blending of winegrowers” which can use 112 different grape varieties. Can lead to products with completely different typicalities. “We won the battle for quality but not those for promotion and communication”summarizes René Moreno again.

Nearly 450,000 hectoliters in 2021

In 2021, just under 450,000 hectoliters were produced in the Hérault IGP, of which 47% in rosé. Much less than in 2020 (nearly 700,000 hectolitres), the harvest having been weakened by frost. This year, the problem of drought hangs over the upcoming harvest. “This is a very important concern and the Department is very sensitive to this issue. We are working on it, that is the whole purpose of the Hérault irrigation plan”, recalls Yvon Pellet, vice-president of the Department, delegate for agricultural economics. At the same time, research on resistant grape varieties is progressing with an experimental field.

But the meeting of May 5 will be well placed under the sign of relaxation and conviviality. “It is also about making visitors want to go all summer to meet the IGPs., finally specifies Sylvie Olivet, the general manager of the federation. Note that breathalyzers will be made available to the public.