The Coteaux du Languedoc (AOC - 1985) is a large area sorth east of Carcassonne, west of Béziers where red, white and rosé wines are made. The reds of Saint-Chinian are light and high quality. At present the area is in something of a muddle about what it is producing, but strong efforts are being made to get to grips with a regional flavour of wines. The models are Burgundy and Bordeaux and it is likely that Coteaux du Languedoc will eventually develop a tiered classification system like Burgundy or Bordeaux. At the bottom of the tier will be the regional zone, basic AC Languedoc, analogous to AC Bordeaux or AC Bourgogne. The whole region will be entitled to this appellation provided basic criteria are met.
Coteaux du Layon is a small, middle Loire commune around the river Layon, a tributary of the Loire 20 km south of Angers, producing rich, smooth and sweet white AOC wines made from Chenin grapes, the most famous Anjou wine.
Coteaux du Loir is an area around the river Loir, a tributary of the Loire, in the far north of the greater Loire wine region, producing dry or medium dry white wines, rosé and red wines. This vineyard, classified AOC on 12 May 1948, consists of only 70 hectares in 16 communes of Sarthe and 6 of Indre-et-Loire. The sharp, straw-yellow white wines are made with white Pineau Blanc de la Loire (Chenin Blanc), while the sharp, spicy red wines which predominate, occasionally the product of barrel fermentation, are made from the Gamay grape or from Cabernet or Côt. The rosé wines are made with those added to Grolleau grapes. In good years the local Pineau d'Aunis grape is used to make a varietal wine.
Coteaux du Lyonnais is an area around Lyon where light red wines made predominantly with Gamay grapes are made. They are usually drunk locally. The appellation was granted in 1984.
Coteaux du Tricastin is a large appellation in the southern Rhône where mainly red, and rosé wines are produced, among them lightish versions of Côtes-du-Rhône from Grenache, Cinsaut and Syrah gtrapes. The wines are similar to the Cotes du Ventoux appellation which is immediately to the south.
An area west of Chalon-sur-Saône in Burgundy producing good quality red and white wines. It includes the communes of Mercurey, Rully, Givry and Montagny.
The Côte de Beaune consists of the southern part of Côte-d’Or in Burgundy, and both Meursault and Pommard are found there. To the west are the hills of the Hautes Côtes de Beaune where both red and white wines are produced (AC). Côte de Beaune-Villages refers to red wine blended from the vines of several minor villages. The northern part of the Côte-d’Or is Côte-de-Nuits.
