Vines and wines: a metropolitan identity

In the heart of the Languedoc region, the Metropolitan area boasts 3,000 hectares of vineyards, representing 472 farms and 200 winegrowers. This is the world's largest winegrowing region, ensuring a third of French production.

Terroirs of the highest quality, distinguished by 5 Appellations d'Origine Protégées

1. L'AOP Languedoc
2. L'AOC Languedoc - Saint-Drézéry
3. L'AOC Languedoc - La Méjanelle
4. L'AOC Languedoc - Saint-Georges d'Orques
5. L'AOC Languedoc - Grès de Montpellier

And 6 Indications Géographiques Protégées:

1. IGP d'OC
2. IGP Pays d'Hérault
3. IGP Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
4. IGP Pays d'Hérault - Bérange (mention complémentaire plus haut niveau de qualité)
5. IGP Pays d'Hérault - Bénovie (mention complémentaire plus haut niveau de qualité)
6. IGP Pays d'Hérault - Collines de la Moure (mention complémentaire plus haut niveau de qualité)

The Metropole of Montpellier wants to breathe new life into winegrowing in its various aspects: agro-ecological, tourism, landscape, economic and cultural.

3 ambitions:

1. Facilitate closer ties between citizens and winegrowers to encourage discovery, appropriation and local pride linked to wine.
2. Make the region a wine destination, a veritable gateway to regional and national wine tourism,
3. Position Montpellier as a wine capital, following in the footsteps of Dijon, Mâcon or Bordeaux.

To achieve this, the Metropole is putting in place several major tools to support, structure and enhance the industry: a "Destination vignobles" label, a wine cluster, and a future Institut de la Vigne et du Vin.

The wine cluster, a pillar of the wine strategy

Initiated in September 2021, the Wine Cluster is part of a medium-term strategy designed to strengthen Montpellier's influence. It will centralize and coordinate actions structuring this sector of excellence, to promote it to institutions, commercial partners and the general public on a national and international scale.

The Cluster is based on 4 orientations:

• Accompany national and international development,
• Create regular communication for professionals and the general public,
• Propose a one-stop entry point,
• Accompany the industry on administrative developments.

As a complement to the Pôle vins, the new "Conseil des Vins de Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole" brings together elected officials and professionals to form a body for consultation and dialogue between industry players.

"Destination vignobles": the region's wine tourism ambition

Between sea and garrigue, the Metropole benefits from a variety of terroirs and a privileged climate. The industry, committed to sustainable, quality viticulture, stands out for its thousand-year-old history. "Destination vignobles de Montpellier" is the new strategy bringing together tourism players to develop wine tourism within the territory.

It is based on shared values:

• Responsible commitment to the environment, to sensible consumption...
• Quality, highlighting the values of the industry, the excellence of the wines and the welcome.
• The proximity and accessibility of vineyards close to the city.
• Respect for landscapes, the environment, consumers.
• Sharing, based on conviviality, celebration, pleasure, relaxation, the Mediterranean art of living.

5 strategic axes

1. A vineyard at the gateway to the city (urban wine tourism): associate the image of Montpellier, renowned for its attractiveness, with that of wine: its heritage, its landscapes... A sustainable and committed destination: promote the commitments of industry players to sustainable viticulture, adaptation to climate change, and responsible tourism and consumption. Encourage virtuous practices, by structuring the wine tourism offer around soft mobility.
2. Montpellier, the heart of regional wine tourism: establish the Montpellier Wine Destination as the central, must-see location for discovering the region's wine tourism. Develop flows between the metropolis and other destinations, for a better distribution of customers across the region.
3. International positioning: assert the Montpellier Wine Region Destination by drawing on the knowledge of wine and scientific research, a unique element that sets it apart from other major wine cities on the world stage.
4. A 4-season destination: structure a year-round offering based on major events, and adapting to the expectations of different customer targets. Combine the pleasures of wine and gastronomy.

The Destination Vignobles experience

Under the banner of conviviality, Montpellier's Destination Vignobles invites visitors to take a pleasant interlude, to meet winemakers committed to sustainable, quality viticulture, and to discover a major aspect of Languedoc culture, through its unique heritage.

Exchange ideas with passionate people, taste appellation wines, admire heritage sites, remarkable landscapes, exceptional estates...

Between city, sea and nature, just a stone's throw from downtown Montpellier, Destinations Vignobles de Montpellier offers great moments of emotion to experience as a couple, with friends or family.

Since 2022, the Metropole of Montpellier has been awarded the "Vignobles et Découvertes" label. Created by Atout France, this label's mission is to unite tourism and wine players around a common objective:

"To offer a range of multiple and complementary tourist products (accommodation, catering, cellar visits and tastings, museums, events...), to enable customers to organize their stay more easily and to guide them towards quality services" (Source Atout France).

"Vignobles et Découvertes" validates the community's commitment to developing wine tourism and promoting its heritage.

69 partners are included in this label:

• 16 cellars
• 11 accommodations
• 21 restaurants
• 5 heritage sites
• 1 tourist office and 4 tourist information offices
• 4 incoming agencies
• 8 activities
• 7 events