A department in south-central France that takes its name from the river Aude, as a wine region it encompasses other AC areas – Corbières, Fitou and Cabardès – along with Coteaux du Languedoc and the sparkling wines of Blanquette de Limoux.
Wine-making is the main economic activity of the department due to its rich and varied soils and a history dating back to the Greeks who established vineyards and the Romans under who they prospered. The first vines were planted in Minervois in the 1st century.
The region has sometimes suffered from overproduction, After the Second World War, the vineyards were revitalized and the region saw production being motivated by large volume. In the 1970s the market evolved replacing demand for quantity with demand for quality.
Now the rich and varied soil of the region together with abundant sunshine abounds enables Aude to produce quality wines have evolved to exhibit roundness, warmth, heady aromas, great flexibility and deep flavors.
