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Wine region

Roussillon

Roussillon is a wine region in France, home to 190 wineries, producing red, rose, white wines, known for Cotes du Roussillon, Cotes du Roussillon-Villages.

Roussillon at a glance: predominantly red; known for Cotes du Roussillon, Cotes du Roussillon-Villages; wines range from IGP to AOP.
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Roussillon's 190 wineries produce predominantly red wine; Muscat is the most common single-grape bottling; wines carry AOP, IGP designation.

About the Roussillon region

    Location
    The official Côtes du Roussillon appellation extends across 113 communes in Pyrénées-Orientales, forming an amphitheatre bounded by the Mediterranean to the east, the Albères and Spain to the south, the Canigou foothills to the west and…
    Climate
    INAO characterises the Côtes du Roussillon appellation as having a marked Mediterranean climate that is sunny and windy.
    Soils
    Official Roussillon appellation material documents substantial soil diversity, including schist, gneiss, granite sands, clay-limestone soils and clay-silt terrace soils across named Côtes du Roussillon Villages denominations.

Region facts sourced from Institut national de l’origine et de la qualité (INAO) (Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (French public information reuse under CRPA)), Institut national de l’origine et de la qualité (INAO) (Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (French public information reuse under CRPA)).

Most common single-grape wines

When Roussillon wines are made from a single grape (rather than a blend), these are the most common:

Wine profile

Roussillon is predominantly a red-wine region (about 73% of its wines).

577 distinct Roussillon wines tracked, spanning the colours and styles below.

  • Red285 · 73%
  • White81 · 21%
  • Rose26 · 7%

Types: Still, Vin Doux Naturel.

Representative Roussillon wines

Selected from stable product-to-region relationships for diversity — not a claim that these are the region's best wines.

  • Villargeil — Rivesaltes
  • Les Vignerons de Maury — 1928 Solera Cask No 803 Vin Doux Naturel
  • Domaine Sol Payre — Scelerata
  • Domaine Gardies — Clos des Vignes Rouge
  • Clos Paulilles — Traditionnel
  • Terres Fagayra — OP Nord
  • Thunevin Calvet — Maury
  • Domaine de la Rectorie — Cote Mer Rouge

Sub-regions & appellations

Within Roussillon, these appellationsA legally-defined smaller growing area within a wine region, often with its own grapes and rules. are smaller growing areas, often with their own character:

  • Cotes du Roussillon
  • Cotes du Roussillon-Villages
  • Rivesaltes
  • Maury
  • Collioure
  • Banyuls
  • Muscat de Rivesaltes
  • Maury Sec
  • Banyuls Grand Cru
  • Cote Vermeille

Quality designations

Wines here span quality tiers from everyday IGP to the strictly-controlled AOP — you'll find both accessible and prestige bottles.

  • AOPThe EU protected-origin label (Appellation d'Origine Protégée) — the modern equivalent of AOC.
  • IGPEU Protected Geographical Indication (Indication Géographique Protégée) — a regional wine label, broader than AOP.

France wine designations

AOC
AOC is the French national controlled-origin recognition for a product whose production stages are carried out using recognised know-how within the same geographical area, giving the product its characteristics.
AOP
An AOP identifies a product whose production stages take place using recognised know-how within the same geographical area, which gives the product its characteristics.
IGP
An IGP identifies a product whose quality, reputation or other characteristics are linked to its geographical origin.
PDO
PDO is the European Union protected designation of origin category.
VdF
Vin de France is the French country-of-origin wording used for wine in the category without a protected geographical indication.

Classifications

2eme Cru Classe
Within the 1855 Sauternes and Barsac classification, 2ème Cru Classé is the third of three sweet-white-wine levels.
3eme Cru Classe
Within the 1855 Bordeaux red-wine classification, 3ème Cru Classé denotes the third of five ranked levels.
4eme Cru Classe
Within the 1855 Bordeaux red-wine classification, 4ème Cru Classé denotes the fourth of five ranked levels.
5eme Cru Classe
Within the 1855 Bordeaux red-wine classification, 5ème Cru Classé denotes the fifth of five ranked levels.
Cru Classe
In the Graves classification, Cru Classé denotes an estate authorised to use the title Grand Cru Classé de Graves; all current classified estates are in Pessac-Léognan.
Grand Cru
In Burgundy, Grand Cru is an AOC category applied to 33 appellations identified by individual Climat names.
Grand Cru Classe
In the current Saint-Émilion classification, Grand Cru Classé is a classified-estate level for red wines of Saint-Émilion; the 2022 edition lists 71 estates at this level.
Premier Cru
In Burgundy, Premier Cru identifies precisely defined individual plots, known as Climats, within certain Village appellations.
Premier Cru Classe
Within the 1855 Sauternes and Barsac classification, Premier Cru Classé is the middle of three sweet-white-wine levels.
Premier Cru Superieur
Within the 1855 Sauternes and Barsac classification, Premier Cru Supérieur is the highest of three sweet-white-wine levels.
Premier Grand Cru Classe A
In the current Saint-Émilion classification, Premier Grand Cru Classé A is the distinguished A level within the Premier Grand Cru Classé category; the 2022 edition lists two estates.
Understanding the wine data
Designation
The protected-origin or administrative category associated with the wine, interpreted using country-aware rules. The same abbreviation can mean different things in different countries, so we only show the meaning approved for that country.
Classification
An additional quality, hierarchy, vineyard, site, ageing or producer classification where supplied. Its meaning varies by country — it is not a universal quality score.
How this ranking is built

Producers are included when WhatDrink has a canonical producer-to-region relationship supported by the catalogue data. Display order may use represented wine count and relationship confidence to provide useful coverage; it is not a ranking of winery quality, prestige, production volume or critical acclaim.

Representative wines are selected from products with a stable relationship to this region, with preference for clear producer identity and a useful spread of producers, wine styles and designations. Inclusion is not an editorial score and does not mean these are the region’s best wines.

How to choose a good Roussillon wine

For everyday drinking, IGP bottles are the accessible choice; for something special, AOP signals the region's most tightly-controlled, prestige wines.

Regional data is aggregated from wine directory and product-catalogue sources; grape and style associations reflect characteristic varieties and may vary by producer and vintage.