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Cotes de Thau is an IGP title covering wines produced along the shores of the Etang de Thau lagoon in the Herault administrative department of eastern Languedoc. The IGP is mostly known for its white wines, made primarily from Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Grenache Blanc, and covers a very similar catchment area to the AOC-level Picpoul de Pinet appellation, which specializes in wines made from the Picpoul grape variety.

The official vineyard zone of the Cotes de Thau IGP covers six communes between the towns of Pezanas and Agde, a distance of just over 10 miles (16km). Here, a series of very low hills are open to the twin influences of the Mediterranean sea and the Etang de Thau, the largest in a series of sea-edge lagoons along the coast. Wines made in the two southernmost communes of this area may be further appended with the Cap l’Agde sub-appellation on the bottle.

Generally speaking, the climate in the area is Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers and most rain falling in spring and autumn. In summer, gentle sea breezes help to moderate the warm temperatures, and also bring a drying influence to the vineyards after rain. This reduces disease pressure in the vineyards, leading to healthy vines and the production of good-quality grapes.

These sea breezes have proved particularly useful to the production of white wines, as cooling influences help to encourage the development of acidity in the grapes. White grape varieties dominate the vineyards around Agde, making wines under both the Cotes de Thau IGP and the Picpoul de Pinet appellation. Some red wines are also made here, mainly from the traditional Mediterranean varieties of Grenache, Carignan and Syrah.

The Cotes de Thau IGP has replaced the previous Vin de Pays des Cotes du Thau appellation that once covered the vineyards of the area. This has been a nation-wide change: the Vin de Pays category has been eliminated in favor of the Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP), which is more closely aligned with European Union labeling conventions.