Collioure
My visit to Collioure started in Perpignan, a southern French city near the Mediterranean coast and the border with Spain.
Perpignan has a fascinating history. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Majorca during the 13th century, thanks to which it has the huge Gothic-and-Romanesque Palace of the Kings of Majorca.
Perpignan is also the capital of French Catalonia, meaning that its citizens have more in common with people from Barcelona than with Parisians.
The Jacques quarter of Perpignan also has the biggest permanent Gypsy (Gitanes in French) settlement in France, with about 5.000 inhabitants. Most of the citizens of Perpignan who succumbed to Covid-19 were Gypsies, due to their general poor health condition and numerous comorbidities.
Another cultural curiosity of Perpignan is that rugby — especially rugby league, rugby à XIII in French — is much more popular than soccer.
About 30 km south of Perpignan, and just 25 km short of the Spanish border, lies the stunningly beautiful little town of Collioure, which sits right on the sea shore. Its medieval Château Royal de Collioure offers dramatic coastal views. Not surprisingly, this beautiful little spot attracted artists from Matisse to Picasso.
Collioure must also be one of the world’s very most beautiful spots for wine walking with vineyards climbing up very steep hills. A great test for my old legs.
Collioure is known for its gutsy red, rosé and white wines made from the most southerly of France’s vineyards with a predominance (around 55 percent) of red wines. Rosé accounts for roughly 30 percent with white wines the remainder.
Red Collioure is characterized by its intensely ripe, fruit aromas and elements of spice while the whites are among the richest of French white wines: full-bodied and deeply perfumed.
Red Collioure is produced from combinations of the following grape varieties: Carignan, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah with rosés also allowed to include Grenache Gris. The list of grapes approved for use in Collioure blanc covers Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Macabeu, Marsanne, Roussanne, Tourbat and Vermentino.
The wines from Collioure may not rival France’s great wines, but they do have a great history dating back to the Phoenicians who established a port/trading post at Collioure and brought the grapevine to the area some seven centuries Before the Common Era (BCE).
Just a little bit further south of Collioure is the little town of Banyuls, which makes a port-like wine, and which I must visit next time.