As winter settles in in the northern hemisphere, appetites turn to rich, substantial foods like game, rich beef stew, rack of lamb, poultry in a buttery mushroom sauce. To back it all up powerful and pungent wines are in order. The Gourmet Gazette is particularly fond of the complex wines of Corbières from the southwest region in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains. Here the grape varieties of Carignan, Grenache and Syrah thrive, all offering up elegant, complex wines. The Vignerons Artisans de Cascastel have just brought out their Heritage de Bonnafous rouge 2018, a red wine bearing the AOP or protected region of origin label.

Here the harvest is by hand in the good earth of the limestone and chalky clay slopes in a region that is known for near permanent sunshine. This full-bodied spicy red is made from grapes from unique parcels of wine from the towns of Saint Jean de Barrou and Villesèque des Corbières. Its color is a deep ruby red and its final aging period is conducted in casks of French oaks for 12 months. The environment is a priority for these Cascastel winemakers. The cooperative uses the methods of sustainable agriculture and their commitment to sustainable development is evident in their use of solar panels and efforts to protect the rare and spectacular local lizard, the very emerald green ocellated lizard also known, fittingly, as the jeweled lizard.
©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette
https://www.vin-cascastel.com/en/