The largest of the seven regional areas for the production of IGP wines (formerly Landwein) in France. The other six are Atlantique, Comtés Rhodaniens, Comté Tolosan, Méditerranée, Terres du Midi and Val de Loire. It lies deep in the south of the country on the Mediterranean and encompasses the dual region of Languedoc-Roussillon in the four départements of Aude, Gard, Hérault and Pyrénées-Orientales. The Greeks and later the Romans brought viticulture to the area in ancient times. Several wine routes also run through the vast area, including Via Domitia (the first Roman road in Gaul), the Canal du Midi (connecting Toulouse with the Mediterranean at Sète) and the section of the Way of St James that runs through the area. The designation "Vin de Pays d'Oc" was created at in 1987 and changed to "Pays d'Oc IGP" by the EU wine market regulation that came into force in 2009 (see also under quality system).
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Sigi Hiss
freier Autor und Weinberater (Fine, Vinum u.a.), Bad Krozingen