Picpoul de Pinet
The étang de Thau, looking towards Mont Ste Claire and Sète The success of Picpoul de Pinet has been extraordinary. It was not so long ago that the vineyards around the étang de Thau were producing some very lack lustre wine for the production of Noilly Prat in the nearby town of Marseillan. But the vermouth market has declined and Picpoul’s fortunes have soared, as the wine growers realised that they needed to improve the quality of their wine. These days a restaurant wine list without Picpoul de Pinet is rare indeed. According to Joel Julien, the very able director of the cooperative of Pomerols, one of the villages in the appellation, the turning point came when they won Best White Wine of the Languedoc in the annual Top 100 tasting competition for their Tesco’s Finest Label. And they have not looked back. There was an extensive Picpoul de Pinet tasting in London last mon...
