Department in the south of France on the Mediterranean coast with the capital Montpellier in the political region of Occitania. It was named after the river Hérault. It lies between the two départements of Aude (southwest) and Gard (northeast). Like these, it is part of the Languedoc region with the extensive AOC area of the same name. The vineyards cover a total of over 100,000 hectares. In the past, only the simplest of mass wines were produced here, but the quality was significantly improved by the government's decision to clear 30,000 hectares of vineyards in the 1980s. The wines of the famous Mas de Daumas-Gassac winery have contributed to the excellent reputation of IGP wines (formerly Vin de pays). There are numerous AOC areas, some of them very small:
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