languedoc roussillon

Finding your dream home where you live can be difficult enough but finding a holiday home in a foreign country can be both time consuming and languedoc roussillon frustrating.

Below is a story about a recent client who we helped purchase their dream holiday home in the Languedoc area of South Western France. Although their requirements may not be the same as everyone�s the process that we went through could be used as a template or guide for any purchaser buying property in any country.

A very nice couple from Dublin contacted us explaining that they wanted to buy a holiday home in the Languedoc area. Ryanair�s recent opening of their Dublin to Carcassonne route meant that short breaks from Ireland to this part of France were now a reality. The thing was, they didn�t know the area too well and languedoc roussillon needed guidance from someone local. That�s where Languedoc Property Finders came in. We talked with them at length in order to understand their motivations for buying and languedoc roussillon what they wanted from their holiday home. We decided that they should fly down to the Languedoc area for a week for a �Sighting� visit. This would give them a clear idea of what the area had to offer and languedoc roussillon what to expect for their money.

We suggested that we look at several areas from Carcassonne town centre to the pretty villages around the town of Pezenas. Carcassonne would give them the convenience that they were looking for, but I felt that Pezenas would provide them with more the type of ambience that they expected from this part of the world.

We spent the week looking at everything from loft apartments in the centre of Narbonne, modern apartment blocks in Beziers and languedoc roussillon village houses in pretty villages from Carcassonne to Pezenas. We really did explore the area and languedoc roussillon they tried to imagine what it would be like to actually own a property in each of the towns and languedoc roussillon villages that we visited.

They found the apartments in Beziers a surprise, something at first they wouldn�t have considered. I think that it was the size, the value and languedoc roussillon the thought of owning an apartment in such a busy town that started to grow on them. Although they didn�t end buying these apartments they were glad to have benefited from the seeing them.

As the week went on my clients realised that an hour�s drive from the airport was really no hardship and languedoc roussillon that although they loved Carcassonne, the areas to the east were more attractive to them.

In the end we were able to narrow things down to two village houses near Pezenas and languedoc roussillon an apartment in Beziers. After a good nights sleep, a good meal and languedoc roussillon some local wine, they decided to make an offer on a very pretty village house just outside of Pezenas. I advised my clients on a suitable starting offer, and languedoc roussillon after a little negotiation, we agreed a price almost ten thousand euros below the asking price. Two days later we were sitting in the local Notaire�s office, pen in hand, and languedoc roussillon the deal was done. They are now looking forward to flying back to France in the next few months to complete on the house and languedoc roussillon have a celebratory BBQ on their new terrace.

I think the key factor in them being able to make a buying decision during their week here was down to the fact that we considered and languedoc roussillon experienced so many different towns, areas and languedoc roussillon properties. By the end of the week they were able to make a considered offer on a good property that they knew fitted their needs and languedoc roussillon requirements.

Our top tip for any buyers visiting the Languedoc area is to go and languedoc roussillon view properties that you may not have at first considered. View village houses, apartments, modern developments, just about everything! This way you can be sure that you are making the right decision at the time you actually make the offer.

If you�re looking to buy a property in the Languedoc this year, my advice is to get yourselves over for a �Sighting� visit as soon as possible. As the days warm up and languedoc roussillon the sun shines for longer into the evening, more and languedoc roussillon more people will start to look at property to buy. If you want to get the best deals, fly over now and languedoc roussillon take your pick from the best of what�s around without the added pressure of knowing that another buyer could be on the next plane out.

If you are looking for fine French wine and languedoc roussillon food, consider the Languedoc-Roussillon region of south central France. You may find a bargain, and languedoc roussillon I hope that you�ll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local white Viognier.

Among France�s eleven wine-growing regions the Languedoc-Roussillon is the largest in actual area and languedoc roussillon ranks fourth in acreage planted in wine grapes. This area, which includes the Midi, was once known for producing huge quantities of questionable quality wine called vin ordinaire. Now, however, in part due to the influence of Australian winemakers, the region is producing more and languedoc roussillon more fine wine. Unlike most other regions of France, many Languedoc-Roussillon wines, such as the one reviewed below, are identified by their grape variety on the label.

Don�t think of this region as being uniform. For example, Languedoc tends to be flat, whereas Roussillon is hilly. In addition, several areas with their own unique combination of microclimate and languedoc roussillon soil (terroir) produce their own AOC (Appellation d�Origine Contr�l�) wines, which tend to be more expensive. Sooner or later we�ll be looking at some of these wines in our series. There are almost 50 AOC wine appellations in Languedoc-Roussillon; covering the entire range, red, white, ros�, sparkling, and languedoc roussillon sweet. This diversity is not surprising when you consider that the region grows over 30 grape varieties.

The Viognier grape was on the edge of extinction about forty years ago. At that time it was restricted to France with a grand total of about 35 acres. Times have changed and languedoc roussillon this grape is now grown in California, Italy, Australia, Chile, and languedoc roussillon Canada, with more countries on the way. The classic Viognier wines come from the Northern Rhone Valley of eastern France, but we probably won�t be reviewing them because of their limited availability and languedoc roussillon high cost.

Of course the Languedoc-Roussillon region has many places to visit. We�ll just focus on a single city, Carcassonne whose population is about 45 thousand. Talk about location. This city lies on a hilltop on the route leading from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. And it�s not far from the Spanish border. Small wonder that it dates back well over two thousand years. The Romans fortified it about 100 BC. Carcassonne has the longest standing city walls in all of Europe. Its name comes from Dame Carcas, who fed the last of the city�s wheat to a pig in clear view of the French Emperor Charlemagne. He mistakenly believed that the besieged city was in no danger of starvation, and languedoc roussillon called off the siege.

The Aude River divides the fortified upper town, La Cit�, from the newer lower town, La Basse Ville. The upper town is basically closed to private cars. Among the upper town sites to see are the Fortress, the Bascilica of Sainte Nazaire, Museum of Chivalry, Arms and languedoc roussillon Archery, and languedoc roussillon the Museum of the Middle Ages, focusing on military history. The lower town has a fine arts museum and languedoc roussillon , in season (April to mid-November), an Australian Animal Preserve with kangaroos and languedoc roussillon emus.

Before reviewing the Languedoc-Roussillon wine and languedoc roussillon imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and languedoc roussillon a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Huitres de Bouzigues (Oysters from Bouzigues). For your second course savor Bourride (Fish with A�oli, a local mayonnaise). And as dessert indulge yourself with Cr�me Colane (Dessert Cream with Lemon, Vanilla, and languedoc roussillon Dill Seed).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and languedoc roussillon review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed
Domaine des Salices Viognier 2005 13% about $12

Let�s start by quoting the marketing materials. Over the past decade, Viognier has shown remarkable success in the vineyards of Languedoc-Roussillon (a.k.a., Midi). Once confined to vineyards in northern Rh�ne, today Viognier is thriving not just in the Midi, but throughout other warm climate regions around the world. Enjoy this fruity, low acid, aromatic wonder with lightly spiced seafood dishes, turkey breast or grilled salmon.

My first meal consisted of baked chicken leg with the skin on in a medley of spices (garlic, onion, cumin, and languedoc roussillon uncharacteristically tame Moroccan Harissa), rice, and languedoc roussillon green beans. I identified apples, pears, and languedoc roussillon a floral taste in the wine. I liked the acidity and languedoc roussillon the way that it cut the tasty grease of the chicken skin. The wine was a good accompaniment to fresh pineapple. I tried an off-the-wall combination by finishing my glass with jalapeno roasted almonds. The wine went dead. I don�t blame the Viognier for this mismatch.

The next meal was an omelet with brown mushrooms, red onions, and languedoc roussillon American cheese (a mistake). The Viognier was moderately acidic and languedoc roussillon very slightly sweet with light fruits. Frankly, I preferred sipping the wine to this combination. There is a well-known rule when pairing a wine to dessert: make sure that the wine is sweeter than the dessert. I broke the rule with a homemade cheesecake that simply denatured the wine. On the other hand, the wine held up better with a homemade chocolate cake that wasn�t as sweet.

My final meal was vegetarian. There was a moderately spicy broccoli mushroom sort of quiche that contained no cheese. The wine was very refreshing and languedoc roussillon almost ethereal. The other dish was a sweet potato, olive, and languedoc roussillon rustic potato concoction held together by crushed crackers. The wine was somewhat less exciting than before but still fine. As often with vegetarian meals, I was still hungry. Always on the lookout for an unconventional pairing, I tried dried, lightly sweetened cranberries. They killed the wine. Why stop there? Candy-coated peanuts went better. They turned up the wine�s acidity but the combination was good enough to go back for seconds.

The first cheese was a goat�s milk cheese, a Palet de Chevre from the Poitou Charentes region of central-western France. This cheese looked and languedoc roussillon tasted more like a Camembert than like a goat�s milk cheese. But the wine was quite fruity and languedoc roussillon pleasant with it. The second cheese was a nutty tasting Gruyere from Switzerland. Once again the wine was fruity and languedoc roussillon a bit acidic. Just before the wine and languedoc roussillon cheese tasting I went to the local supermarket. On the cheese shelf was a local Asiago, a sharp cheese originally from northern Italy. Usually I don�t taste local cheeses with these wines, but because I actually preferred this local Asiago to the imported version, I thought that I�d make an exception. The combination was quite good; the wine came out fruity and languedoc roussillon lightly acidic. Slices of fresh tomato perked it up even more.

Final verdict. I liked this wine and languedoc roussillon intend to buy it again, even more so at its relatively low price. I�ll let you in on a secret; this is the first Viognier wine that I liked to any extent. I plan to taste other Viognier wines in this series. I don�t promise that I�ll try the top-of-the-line offerings from the northern Rhone Valley; they are quite pricey.

If you are looking for fine French wine and languedoc roussillon food, consider the Languedoc-Roussillon region of south central France. You may find a bargain, and languedoc roussillon I hope that you�ll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local red Syrah.

Among the eleven wine-growing regions of France, Languedoc-Roussillon ranks fourth in total vineyard acreage. This area, which includes the Midi, (the home of the wine reviewed below) was traditionally known for producing ton after ton of mediocre table wine called vin ordinaire. But times change and languedoc roussillon in spite of global warming Languedoc-Roussillon has started to produce fine wine. Some say that visiting Australian winemakers are largely responsible for this improvement.

Languedoc-Roussillon is home to about three dozen grape varieties ranging from the widely known such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and languedoc roussillon Syrah to the quite obscure such as Aspiran Noir, Aspiran Gris, and languedoc roussillon Lladoner Pelot. If I ever get my hands on one of those rare grape varieties, I promise to review the wine. But I won�t be holding my breath.

The wine reviewed below comes from the Carcassonne area. But a previous article (I Love French Wine and languedoc roussillon Food � A Midi Viognier) already reviewed this beautiful old city. So I thought why not examine the relatively nearby city of Toulouse, which strictly speaking is not part of Languedoc-Roussillon but is the capital of the neighboring Midi-Pyr�n�es region. Will that stop you from visiting it?

Toulouse, France�s fifth largest city and languedoc roussillon the fastest growing metropolis in Europe, was once the capital of the Languedoc province of France before the French Revolution abolished provinces. It is the capital of the French aerospace industry. The University of Toulouse is the second largest University in France. In many ways this lovely city seems more Spanish than French.

Toulouse is known as a pink city for its redbrick buildings. Among the many sights to see are the Capitole/H�tel de Ville (Capitol/Town Hall) which, unlike most city halls, is decorated with beautiful paintings. The �glise des Jacobins (Jacobin Church) which was built almost eight hundred years ago also displays many art masterpieces and languedoc roussillon is the site of several music concerts in the summer. The city is home to quite a few beautiful mansions called H�tels.

The Mus�e des Augustins (Augustinian Museum) was once a convent. You should see its collection of religious paintings and languedoc roussillon Romanesque sculpture. The Mus�e du Vieux Toulouse (Museum of Old Toulouse) lives up to its name. Fanciers of archaeology won�t be disappointed with Mus�e St-Raymond (Saint-Raymond�s Museum). As you can well imagine historic churches abound. Toulouse�s best-known landmark is St-Sernin, the largest Romanesque church in the world. The list goes on and languedoc roussillon on. You may get an idea of the time scale in the older areas of town when you realize that the Pont Neuf (New Bridge) was built in 1632.

Before reviewing the Languedoc-Roussillon wine and languedoc roussillon imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and languedoc roussillon a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring beautiful Toulouse. Start with Garbure (Cabbage Soup with Poultry). For your second course savor Cassoulet Toulousain (Bean and languedoc roussillon Pork Stew). And as dessert indulge yourself with Violette de Toulouse (Violet Flower Crystallized in Sugar).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and languedoc roussillon review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Domaine de Salices Syrah 2004 12.5% about $13.50

Let�s start by quoting the marketing materials. Grown on the vineyards around the gorgeous medieval town of Carcassonne, this Syrah is rich, ripe and languedoc roussillon very fruity. Aged for 11 months in oak barrels, the wine shows superb balance between the oak and languedoc roussillon fruit. Enjoy this delicious quaffer with grilled steaks, hamburgers, pasta with meat sauce or gourmet sausages.

My first meal consisted of slow cooked meat balls in a tomato sauce with potatoes. The wine was spicy, powerful, and languedoc roussillon mouth filling. It was tannic, but in a pleasant sense.

The next meal was whole wheat pasta with spicy meat sauce. The wine was round and languedoc roussillon powerful. I tasted pepper and languedoc roussillon black fruit.

The final meal involved store bought cold barbecued spare ribs with potato salad and languedoc roussillon roasted red pepper in garlic and languedoc roussillon oil. (I can�t help it; that�s the kind of food I savor, even more so with wines like this one.) The meat�s congealed fat and languedoc roussillon thick tomato sauce made it very tasty. The wine did a great job of cutting the fat. It was very round and languedoc roussillon full, brimming with black cherries. The roasted red pepper brought out a tobacco taste in the wine.

My first cheese pairing was with a French Camembert. I had the feeling that the Syrah was diluted by this cheese. It was still good, but not as good as on its own. The second cheese was a nutty tasting Swiss Gruyere that flattened the wine, reducing its flavor peaks. The final cheese was a soft German Edam. This last combination was the best of the lot. The wine was almost as good with the buttery Edam as it was on its own.

Final verdict. I like this wine and languedoc roussillon intend to purchase it again. But I won�t bother much with cheese pairing.