Gourmet Montpellier | Montpellier Tourism

Montpellier Méditerranée a land of vineyards

In the Languedoc and at the gates of Montpellier, the vine has always been there and the Romans have structured the vineyard. The Etruscans, in 500 B.C., were already producing wine here, in what is now the commune of Lattes.

Renowned in the 16th century, Montpellier wine made the city’s fortune in the 19th century. Today, the Languedoc is ranked among the best vineyards in the world by the greatest oenologists.

The region has many appellations, including: AOC Languedoc – Grés de Montpellier, Saint-Georges-d’Orques, La Méjanelle, Pic Saint-Loup, Saint-Drézéry; AOC Terrasses du Larzac; IGP Pays d’Oc: IGP Pays de l’Hérault, IGP Collines de la Moure, AOP Picpoul and AOP Muscat de Mireval.

The AOC Languedoc – Grés de Montpellier appellation takes its name from its stony soil made of rolled pebbles and limestone.
A few estates in Grés de Montpellier: Chemin des Rêves, Château de l’Engarran, Château de Flaugergues, Château de Fourques, Domaine Saint Jean de l’Arbousier, Abbaye de Valmagne.

The AOC Terrasses du Larzac appellation owes its name to the terraced vineyards.
Some of the AOC Terrasses du Larzac estates: Château Capion, Domaine d’Anglas.

Today, the vineyards of Montpellier, with their unique cultural heritage based on the knowledge of wine, have been awarded the Vignobles et Découvertes label.

A little jaunt to the markets In and around Montpellier

Grab your shopping list and wicker basket and let’s shop ’til we drop around the city. Temptation is everywhere: markets, artisans, top restaurants…

It’s hard to resist the treasures that producers and traders lay out on their stands in and around Montpellier every morning.

Choose your market hall to begin your adventure: Halles Castellane/Halles Laissac/Halles du Lez (photo). It’s all about good local produce. The atmosphere is electric even in the early hours. “We have locals who come every day and prefer shopping here to the supermarkets,” one grocer tells us. “Then there are visitors and tourists who love the atmosphere here!”

Visit the market café and you’ll see the guy who comes here every day to read his newspaper over a coffee. A few metres away, a lady is asking about today’s sea bream catch, a fruit and veg seller is pushing his pomelos and a butcher is battling with a leg of lamb.

There’s a market to visit in the surrounding villages every day. Each one has its own speciality, personality and local celebs!

There are shouts and chatter everywhere in Castries (Friday morning), Baillargues (Tuesday and Friday morning), Le Crès (Wednesday morning) and Castelnau-le-Lez (Tuesday and Saturday morning).

Overview of Foodie festivals

Greater Montpellier celebrates its produce: Rencontres vigneronnes(Winegrowers meetings) wine festival in November in Montpellier, Truffle festival in January in Saint-Géniès-des-Mourgues, Tomato festival in September in Clapiers, Olive festival in October in Pignan, Honey Festival in October in Cournonsec and many more.

Take a deep dive into these one-of-a-kind markets and learn all about the produce that has put the region on the foodie map. Did you know there are thousands of different types of tomatoes and hundreds of different olives? And did you know that pigs are man’s best friends when it comes to unearthing truffles?

Dozens of children are spellbound as they watch a master truffle hunter scour the earth with a huge sow in Saint-Geniès-des-Mourgues… Suddenly, the pig pushes a black rock with its snout: it’s a truffle.

It’s a golden opportunity for visitors who often have never tried the “tuber melanosporum” to get a taste for it and pick some up to serve at Christmas!

Montpellier a prime destination for foodies

Montpellier is a prime destination for food lovers.

La Réserve Rimbaud run by Charles Fontès (on the Lez riverbanks), Reflet d’Obione (Rue Jean Jacques Rousseau) run by chef Laurent Cherchi, Leclere (Rue de la Valfere) and Pastis run by Daniel Lutrand (Rue Terral) are some of the hottest Michelin-starred eateries in the Hérault capital.

The latest addition: Jardin des Sens run by the Pourcel brothers in the luxury Hôtel Richer de Belleval.

In and around Montpellier is bursting with bijou eateries to feast your senses on.

The Mediterranean diet and our local produce are so famous that Occitanie hosts the Toqués d’Oc cookery festival: Top Montpellier chefs and their Toulouse guests cook up a storm for you!