Until the 1980s the wines of Languedoc-Roussillon were mostly rustic, roasted, and dirt-cheap--of little interest to export markets. But wine production in this sun-drenched, crescent-shaped region hugging the Mediterranean from the Rhone delta to the Spanish border has undergone a sea change in recent years. Today the Languedoc-Roussillon offers wine lovers more ripe, textured red wine for under $20 than just about any other grape-growing zone on the planet.

Most Languedoc-Roussillon red wines are blends. For years, the indigenous, ubiquitous Carignane grape, which at high production levels tastes like nothing at all, was widely complemented or replaced by more "noble" Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, along with Mourvedre and Merlot; but today Carignane is beginning to make a comeback. Cinsaut, which has a long history in this region, remains prominent in the entry-level bottlings of many producers. As a rule, though, today's top Languedoc wines, with their generally higher content of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedre, are darker, more vibrant, and more refined than ever.

While the Languedoc and Roussillon appellations are usually lumped together, wines made in these two areas are typically quite distinct in style. The Languedoc, located closer to the Rhone Valley, produces everything from juicy, fruit bombs meant for immediate pleasure to more serious, full-bodied, and structured wines that call to mind the best examples from the Rhone Valley. Roussillon, on the other hand, is an essentially Catalan region near France's border with Spain, producing distinctly warm wines of near-roasted ripeness--so ripe, in fact, that most consumers are familiar only with the late-harvest and fortified wines of the region. One aromatic element that infuses many of the Roussillon wines from across this region is that of garrigue, the wild and pungently herbal/spicy brush that dots hillsides along France's Mediterranean coast.

La Clape: One of the oldest wine-producing areas of the entire Languedoc region, thanks to its proximity to the earliest Roman settlements of Mediterranean France. The arid climate and rocky soils yield powerful Languedoc wines with dark fruit flavors and surprisingly silky tannins.

Faugères: The vineyards here are dominated by dark soils rich in schist, which, in theory at least, gives the Languedoc wines more perfume, finesse, and complexity. The appellation’s inland location at higher altitude, where day-night temperature variation is more pronounced, also contributes to the delicacy of the wines.

La Méjanelle: The same large, round stones found in Châteauneuf-du-Pape dominate the landscape of La Méjanelle, part of which actually lies within the city limits of Montpellier. While some wines show similarities to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, those that rely more on Syrah are rich and intense, with a dark fruit character more suggestive of the black pepper and olive scents of northern Rhône wines. As with St. Drézéry and a few other villages, wines from La Méjanelle are now labeled under the rubric Grès de Montpellier.

Montpeyroux: Consists mostly of hillside vineyards on limestone and clay soil in a hot inland area with less influence from the Mediterranean. Languedoc wines here tend to be powerful, dense, and cellar worthy, with emphatic dark berry tones. Montpeyroux is one of a number of villages that has recently been grouped under the new name Terrasses du Larzac.

Pic St. Loup: Stony, limestone-dominated soils dominate this inland area, situated in the shadow of two mountains, the Pic St. Loup and the Montagne de l’Hortus. Regulations here are the strictest of the Languedoc, requiring vineyards to be planted to at least 90 percent Grenache, Syrah, and/or Mourvèdre. Cool nights and constant air movement prolong the growing season, resulting in wines with a perfumed character, sometimes reminiscent of the northern Rhône, sometimes even of Burgundy.

St. Chinian: Effectively a northern extension of Faugères with similar soils but generally higher-altitude plantings on hillsides. The wines are firm and meaty, with a serious tannic structure, and generally require at least a year or two of bottle aging. The vineyards must be planted to a mix of at least 60 percent Grenache, Syrah, and/or Mourvèdre.