Eva,

Well put! I would not disagree with a thing you wrote. The wines of the Languedoc are young and vibrant. They are much more approachable, especially from a cost a standpoint, and the Ros� from the Languedoc, and Provence to the west, are my favorite from anywhere.

The reds and whites from Minervois and Corbieres (both AOCs of Languedoc) heavily rely the traditional Rhone grapes, but it is the spice added by Carignan which sets them apart (IMHO). These two regions often overlooked by many, but have not escaped my racks in the basement. Bang for the Buck you cannot go wrong.

Having said that� From a wine perspective I use this analogy - back in the day, the Beatles were much more popular and well known than the Queen of England, but the Queen was still the Queen � Burgundy is still the Queen in the Wine World and the wines from Languedoc are much more fun (IMHO).