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Rivesaltes (; ) is an appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) for naturally sweet, (vin doux naturel or VDN). The name refers to both a production region within Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France, and the style of sweet wines produced there.
The Rivesaltes AOC designation of origin has been protected by INAO since 1972, combining several smaller protected designations created in 1936.
The main grapes used for white Rivesaltes wines are Grenache blanc, Grenache gris, Macabeu, and Malvoisie du Roussillon; Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains and Muscat of Alexandria are accessory varietals, which have to be less than 20 percent of the final product. The only grapes allowed for red Rivesaltes wines are Grenache noir, Grenache blanc, Grenache gris, Macabeu, and Malvoisie du Roussillon.
Styles can be labeled ambré (amber), grenat (garnet), tuilé (tiled), or rosé, provided they meet certain conditions. These wines can also be labeled (aged) or hors d'âge (beyond age) provided they meet further conditions.
Rivesaltes style requirements:
According to prominent négociant Philippe Gayral, Rivesaltes is optimal at 50 years of age, and needs a minimum of 20 years before its tannins soften enough.
Rivesaltes can have an affordable price, sometimes less than €10 (about $13 USD) a bottle. Some of these, especially the related Muscat de Rivesaltes, are not considered quality wines.
Rivesaltes is typically served slightly chilled.
The region has about . It is predominantly located over a large portion of the Pyrénées Orientales, extending over 85 communes in the Pyrénées Orientales and 9 communes in the Aude, to the north. The Rivesaltes region borders the foothills of the Canigó to the west, the Mediterranean to the east, and Spain to the south. The region has a wide variety of soil types: granite, gneiss, and brown and black schists around the Agly Massif in the northwest and at the foot of the Albera Massif. There are also red limestone soils by the Corbières Massif, sandy soil by Les Aspres, and stony terraces along the region's rivers. Rivesaltes AOC is crossed by three rivers that traverse the area from west to east, draining into the Mediterranean. They are, listed north to south: the Agly, Têt, and Tech. Vineyards in the region are commonly on terraces and hills.
Rivesaltes AOC has a Mediterranean climate, with hot and dry summers. Rain averages annually, spread over few days in spring and fall. The region has about 300 days or 2,555 hours of sunshine each year, called the sunniest in France. It is affected every third day by the Tramontane breeze from the northwest, which dries the region's grapevines, and the rest of the time by sea winds.
While the similar Banyuls AOC and Maury AOC are typically high-quality, Rivesaltes is made in a wide variety of styles, depending on terroir and winemaker skills and preference. Rivesaltes traditionally was made by larger professional wineries and cooperatives, while Banyuls and Maury tended to be made by amateur winemakers but in a more artisanal fashion.
By the 2020s, global climate change began to affect the climate of Rivesaltes AOC. Among earlier harvest dates in France, vineyard owners in Rivesaltes began harvesting August 5, instead of the more usual September. They also began machine-picking their grapes at nighttime or starting hand-picking at dawn, as daytime temperatures reached . Weather in 2020 included catastrophic springtime rain, mildew in the summer, and an absence of the Tramontane breeze, followed by drought-like conditions.
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