Collioure and the surrounding area are a food lovers heaven. There is a huge choice of restaurants & cafés, from basic Catalan food to Michelin Starred restaurants. The fabulous mix of Mediterranean styles with a Spanish influence to compliment the French cuisine.
Wines of the Languedoc-Roussillon
Did you know that about a third of all French wine is produced in the Languedoc-Roussillon, 246 000 hectares = 2000 million bottles. Yes, that’s 2 billion bottles.
Credit: Mirabeau en Provence: Youtube
Reds, whites, rosés and sweet wines are made throughout the region. Typically the grape varieties that are used are: Carignan, Grenache, Syrah and Mourdeve. Many of the local vineyards do a ‘dégustation’ or wine tasting and are happy to talk you through the wines. Of particular note are the rosé wines which have been improving vastly over the last few years, definitely worth a try.
Food and Restaurants
For foodies and those that love to eat, you have chosen an excellent place to visit. While much of the food is still very French, the Spanish influence is ever present in the menus. Catalan flavours are infused into some of the traditional local dishes. The ‘Boles de Picolat’ is a typically Catalan meal of meat balls served with beans.
Being right on the coast we are also spoiled for choice when it comes to seafood. Port-Vendres has fishing boats that go out every day and we wait to see what they will bring for us as we buy directly from the fishermen. Lots of fruit and fresh produce is grown here as well as olives and some of the finest goats cheese you will find. All our guests get a list of restaurants and places we recommend to visit.
Markets and Local Produce
Each town and village has a market selling locally produced food and wines. Fresh fruit and vegetables are seasonal and often sold directly by the producers. One of the best markets in the region is in a town called Céret, just 30 minutes from Collioure on a Saturday morning. Collioure has it’s own smaller version on a Wednesday and Sunday morning.
For more information head over to Our Top 12 for more food and wine delights.