Gard
Gard () is a department in Southern France, located in the region of Occitanie. It had a population of 748,437 as of 2019;department in the
Occitania
Occitania is the historical region in Southern Europe where the Occitan language was historically spoken and where it is sometimes used as a second language. This cultural area roughly encompasses much of the southern third of France (except ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
in
Southern France
Southern France, also known as the south of France or colloquially in French as , is a geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi atlantique'', Atlas e ...
. It is located on the departmental border with
Vaucluse
Vaucluse (; or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.
, which is also the regional border with
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (commonly shortened to PACA), also known as Région Sud, is one of the eighteen Regions of France, administrative regions of France, located at the far southeastern point of the Metropolitan France, mainland. The main P ...
Laudun is one of the communes producing Côtes du Rhône Villages wines, red, rosé and white.
The
Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...
is one of the main areas for French wines. Some have their own AOC (''Appellation d'origine controlée'') as
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Châteauneuf-du-Pape (; ) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. The village lies about to the east of the Rhône and north of the town of Avignon.
A ruined medieval castle s ...
, Hermitage and Gigondas -others are selling their wines under the umbrella
Côtes du Rhône AOC
Côtes du Rhône () is a wine-growing ''Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée'' (AOC) for the Rhône wine region of France, which may be used throughout the region, also in those areas which are covered by other AOCs. In a limited part of the regio ...
.
In 1953 the INAO (Institut National des Appellations d'Origine) chose 4 villages with a good reputation, but not considered quite good enough for their own AOC: Gigondas (has today its own AOC), Cairanne, Chusclan and Laudun (which include neighboring St. Victor la Coste and Tresques). These wine could add their name to the general AOC and sell the wine as "Côtes du Rhône Laudun", if they lived up to strict conditions as to yield per hectare (35 hl instead of 50), alcoholic strength (minimum 121,5% alcohol etc.
Later this group was extended with an increasing number of Villages -as Vacqueyras (1955, also later having AOC), Vinsobres (recently also an AOC) and recognized as AOC "Côtes du Rhône Villages". Today some 15-20 villages are allowed to add their own name to "Côtes du Rhône Villages", while another 30-40 can use the Côtes du Rhône Villages without their name added.
Close to the small village is the Camp de César plateau, where amphorae has been found, indicating an old Roman settlement, perhaps from César's days. Laudun was originally better known for white wines than reds -and in 1375 wine was sent to the papal cellars, then still in Avignon. King Louis XIII was in 1629 offered a barrel of Laudun, also white.
Today, however, far more red than white wine is produced from Grenache and Syrah varietals, a wine with some body and fruit, but not among the most heavy, pleasant for drinking fairly young -not unlike the neighbor to the south -Lirac (AOC).
The main producer is the coop, Cave les Quatre Chemins. There are a few private cellars, inc. Pelaquié. Only part of the production is sold as Laudun Rhône Villages. The rest is sold as straight Côtes du Rhône or Vin de Pays (often named Gard after the department, Laudun is situated in). In total app. 1 million bottles are produced.
See also
*
Communes of the Gard department
This is a list of the 350 communes of the Gard department of France.
The communes cooperate in the following intercommunalities (as of 2025):1st Foreign Engineer Regiment
The 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment () is one of two combat engineer regiments of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. The regiment provides the combat engineering component of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade.
It is currently stationed at Quar ...