Even now, all varieties of Roussillon Vin Doux Naturel are very popular. The Roussillon region represents at least 80% of the production of Vin Doux Naturel with the appellations Banyuls, Maury Doux, Muscat de Rivesaltes, Rivesaltes and Grand Roussillon The remaining approximately 20% of the production comes from the Languedoc with the Muscats of St -Jean-de-Minervois, Lunel, Frontignan, and Mireval, the southern Rhône region’s Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise and Rasteau’s Vin Doux Naturel, and lastly, northern Corsica’s Muscat du Cap Corse
More than 20 grape varieties can be used to make Vin Doux Naturel, but Grenache noir and Muscat à petit grains blancs are the most crucial for the white and red Vin Doux Naturel, respectively. Reductive vinification is used to create the Muscat wines and the VDN types Blanc, Rosé, and Grenat or R. Types of oxidative vinification include Ambré and Tuilé in addition to Traditionalnel. The flavors of Vin Doux Naturel vary widely depending on their type and age, including fresh lemon, peach, cherry, strawberry, plum, raisin, fig, hazelnut, almond, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, and lastly complex rancion notes. They pair well with goose liver, sweet and sour dishes, blue mold, dry goat cheese, and especially chocolate desserts. Older, more complex specimens are excellent as digestifs.
Vin Doux Naturel is a French specialty that is sweet and alcohol-fortified. Unlike other sweet wines, Vin Doux Naturel gets its “natural sweetness” from the addition of alcohol, which prevents the further conversion of glucose to alcohol. “Mutage” is the process of stopping the fermentation of the must, whether it contains or is not made from grape skins. The origin of this phrase can be traced back to the scholar and physician Arnaldus de Villanova (1240–1311), who observed that alcohol prevents fermentation and preserves the natural sweetness. Thomas Jefferson, Voltaire, and Louis XIV were just a few of the people who loved this wine.
Languedoc-Roussillon Muscats
There are several VDNs made with muscat as the base, including Muscat de Frontignan, Muscat de Saint Jean de Minervois, Muscat de Lunel, Muscat de Mireval, and Muscat de Rivesaltes, that are produced throughout Languedoc and Roussillon.
Muscat de Rivesaltes is the largest Muscat-based appellation in France. Muscat d’Alexandrie and Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains can be used to make it. The Muscat d’Alexandrie adds notes of ripe fruits and white flowers, while the Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains offers potent aromas of exotic tropical and citrus fruits.
The Languedoc-based Muscat appellations represent a wide range of terroirs. The vineyards for Muscat de Frontignan, Muscat de Lunel, Muscat de Mireval, and Muscat de Saint Jean de Minervois all have a mix of red clay and limestone soil types. The terroir of Muscat de Frontignan is primarily composed of calcareous soils.
These wines are produced from Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains. All of them are produced using a nonoxidative method, which produces wines with excellent freshness and ripe fruit flavors. They also all have a subtle sweetness and honeyed accent that add richness and length. —L. B.
Is Port a vin doux naturel?
The same technique of mutation used in VDN is used to stop fermentation early in Port, a sweet fortified wine produced in the Douro region of Portugal.
Vins doux natural and port use different grapes and maturation techniques to create wines that are distinctive to the Douro’s regional heritage.
The rich regional tradition of winemaking is just as important in vin doux naturel wines as it is in Port, but in Southern France. VDNs and Ports are both blended wines, but VDNs are made in France and Port is made in Portugal.