Fitou is a red-wine appellation at the heart of the southern France's Languedoc-Roussillon wine region. The 'Fitou' from which the wine (and therefore the appellation) gets its name is a small village just a few miles from the Mediterranean coast.
The typical Fitou wine is not markedly different from the reds made in neighboring Corbieres (i.e. rustic, herby, leather-scented, medium-bodied and moderately tannic). The two appellations make use of the same grape varieties, and the terroir of southern Corbieres is very similar to that of Fitou. The distinction between the two is one of traditional and pride; if it were ever proposed that the Fitou appellation be absorbed into Corbieres, there would be strong protests from the proud producers of Fitou.
The dominant grape varieties in Fitou wines are Carignan and Grenache. Together this pair must constitute at least 60% of the blend. The remainder is typically made up from Mourvedre and Syrah, which must each be represented to the tune of at least 10%. Syrah is the favored blending partner for Carignan in the higher, cooler areas of the appellation, while Mourvedre is preferred in those areas closer to the sea. Traditional bush vines are common here, although guyot-trained vineyards are increasingly popular for their more reliable yields (see Vine Training).
The Fitou viticultural area is, unusually, split into two separate zones, both finger-like enclaves stretching northwards into the larger Corbieres viticultural area. Each around eight miles (13 km) from north to south and less than half that from east to west, these two areas have a combined vineyard area of around 6,500 acres (2650 ha).
The inland 'finger' is known unofficially as Fitou Montagneux ('mountainous Fitou'). This area is relatively hilly – vineyards here lie at altitudes anywhere between 330ft and 1310ft (100m and 400m) – and the soils are often poor, free-draining and based on schist. Its coastal counterpart, Fitou Maritime, is situated on slightly flatter land at the transition point between the Pyrenean foothills and the coastal plain. Vineyards here rarely sit about 150m, and the majority lie on the plain which slopes down from the A9 highway towards the Etang de Leucate lagoon. These lower-lying, coastal sites tend to have soils with a high proportion of limestone and clay. Unsurprisingly, given their proximity to the sea, the climate in both areas is distinctly Mediterranean.
The southern limits of the Fitou zone are marked neatly (and invisibly) by the border between the Aude and Pyrenees-Orientales administrative départements. This is effectively the border between the traditional regions once known as Languedoc and Roussillon. Even though these two are now treated administratively as a single region (Languedoc-Roussillon), the strength of local history and traditions means that they retain clear cultural distinctions. Fitou marks the transition between the two, and has retained distinct traces of 'Roussillon' in its cultural DNA. The is quite understandable when one considers how close the Fitou is to Roussillon; a patch of scrubland, and an invisible administrative border, is all that separates Fitou's southernmost vineyards from those of the Cotes du Roussillon.
In among the vines, there is further confirmation of Fitou's strong link with Roussillon. The vineyards that produce herb-scented, dry red Fitou are also entitled to grow Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc and Muscat grapes to make sweet white Rivesaltes and Muscat de Rivesaltes, two of Roussillon's most distinctive wines.
