Abstract

For several years now, the specialized press as well as the general media have been discussing the renewal of the Languedoc vineyard in terms of the question of the qualitative revolution that would seem be underway in one of the world’s largest wine-producing areas. Indeed, since the 1850s, Languedoc viticulture has been associated with mass production of poor quality wines, destined to be drunk at best by the working or underprivileged classes. It was also used to enhance the wines produced throughout the country, which were very low in alcohol content and color. In other words, it was a wine without identity for the public in France. For nearly 150 years, Languedoc wines were thus equated with mediocre wines, with pejorative nicknames, at best “pinard”, at worst “vinasse”, and even “piquette”. This reputation defined the Languedoc vineyards until the end of the 20th century, when a general movement pushed local producers to transform their practices and techniques. Thus, in this context, the new reputation of Languedoc wines can indeed appear as a real revolution. This paper aims to question this conception and to put into perspective both the reputation of Languedoc wines over time, and also the practices or discourses seeking to establish or promote quality viticulture in the Midi of France since the middle of the 19th century. We then realize that the reality is more complicated than the historical shortcuts suggest and that there was a real qualitative trend in Languedoc as soon as the end of the 19th century, unfortunately drowned under mass production, making its presence invisible.