Standing on the sea wall next to Collioure lighthouse in the early morning, sailing boats bobbing in the harbour, the views are fabulous. The blue and turquoise waters of the Mediterranean on one side; on the other, red tiled rooftops of Collioure’s colourful houses reflected in the calm waters, behind which the foothills of the Pyrenees appear to tumble into the ocean. It is a near perfect setting.
It’s the view that Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans would have had when they sailed into Collioure harbour. The town has been inhabited since at least 600 BC, the natural harbour ideal for ships trading along this coast and with North Africa. The town’s history has always revolved around the sea, but in the steep hills behind the shore is another history to discover.
It’s history that has its origins in the Greek colony founded here two and a half thousand years ago. The Greeks brought vines and wine making knowledge to this region. The Romans who followed expanded the vineyards and traded Collioure wine across the Mediterranean. Ancient clay wine jars stamped with the town’s name have been found in Rome. Proof that the wines of this region were sought after.
Although not so well known outside of France, the vineyards that stretch along this coast produce some excellent dry whites, reds and the unique Banyuls sweet dessert wine that comes in white, ambré and red varieties. There is a route that takes you from the coast up into the hills and through the terraced vineyards. The vines seem to cling improbably to the hillside. It’s quite steep, but the views over Collioure are wonderful.
The vines here grow in mineral rich soils in walled terraces. It must be incredibly tough physical labour to harvest the grapes. But the microclimate created by the proximity of the ocean and 300 days of annual sunshine produce some incredible wines using grape varieties I’d not heard of before. Tourbat, Macabeu, Carignan, Cinsault and Mourvèdre grow alongside the more common Grenache. It’s a beautiful landscape.
This is also a landscape littered with fortresses. A strategically important area, this region was heavily contested for centuries. The Visigoths took over the area when the Roman Empire collapsed, but they were forced out in 719 by the first wave of Moorish conquest that spread across the Pyrenees from modern day Spain. the Moors were pushed back across the Pyrenees in 759 by an army of Franks.
In the 12th century Collioure came under the rule of the Spanish Kingdom of Aragon. It remained Spanish until lost to France in the 1659 Treaty of Pyrenees, ending decades of war between France and Spain, and any hope for tapas culture in France. It’s this history we set out to discover in the hills close to Fort Saint Elme, a 1552 Spanish star fortress which likely begun life as a Moorish watchtower 700 years earlier.
The views from Fort Saint Elme are tremendous, but the fort itself was closed. A shame, but all the walking had given us a thirst. Time to head back to Collioure and a wine tasting at one of the major wine makers in this region, the Cellier Dominicain. It was a pity that the tastings were done by a charmless man who had no people skills, but the Banyuls sweet wines we tasted were excellent.
We decided to cut our losses with the charmless man, and instead headed to an excellent waterfront bar to taste some local wines (and beers) that came with sea views.
stunning view!
It is very beautiful