When I first delved into wines, I was trying to discover all sorts of unique locations and wines.  It was almost a game for me.  I found a lesser region which had its own “Apellation Controlee” which is what all wine districts in France aspire to.  The other designation VDQS is for areas that have distinguished themselves from just table wines, but not of a caliber to get an AC rating.  France takes its wines very seriously.

I was going to an informal dinner party and I went looking for a couple of bottles that I could expound on (especially if it was a hit) to a group of semi-curious wine drinkers.  This group was more into beer than wine, but it wine was available they would avail themselves of its virtues.

I found a couple of bottles from Fitou which is in the south of France east of the mouth of the Rhone River.  Further north of the Rhone River are several great areas of wine production, but that is for another day.  As I said I was still in a discovery mode.  The wine I found was a 1971 Chateau Viala.

Even as a novice I noticed that this wine was what I would even then call a table wine, as it was not as full bodied as even a basic Bordeaux wine.  The color was paler than even most of the reds that I had tried by that time and the nose was tame.  There was not a strong aftertaste but since it was a casual dinner, it more than sufficed.   In my days since then, I have not noticed another wine offering from Fitou, as I would have purchased it again, just to see if the wine makers had made any strives to improve on their wines in this global wine market.