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The fabled Cote D'Azur, Nice, Cannes, Monaco and Provence have for centuries evoked images of glorious beaches and Mediterranean views, vacation homes of the rich and famous, glamorous locations and people, brilliant floral displays, vineyards and richly historical villages and towns. All true. The use of this backdrop over the years by Hollywood has perhaps added to this luster, but it is still justifiably a highly desirable vacation and retirement area. My wife and I recently took an exploratory trip to the South of France to follow up on what we have been told is "brewing" there. The area we visited, though, is not the area described above. Instead, we visited the area called Languedoc-Roussillon, a region also along the French Mediterranean coast but just west of that more famous (and far more expensive) region. Languedoc-Roussillon, often called just Languedoc, stretches along the Gulf of Lyon from a little west of Marseilles almost to Toulouse. Inland, it extends north well into the Central Massif mountains. In the south, it shares the same climate, scenery and beaches as the Cote D'Azur, and in addition boasts vineyards and wineries by the thousands. This region is the biggest wine-producing region in the world and has been since the Greeks started raising grapes for wine here almost 3000 years ago. So why hasn't it developed as a resort area in the past? Largely because access has been more difficult than to Marseilles, Nice and Cannes. Also, the "hype" about those areas has been a draw for many decades. But now things are a little different. With the recent advent of high-speed trains (up to 190 MPH) from Paris to Montpellier, vacationers can travel from Paris to the region in 2-3 hours. We also learned that Spain has built a high-speed line from Barcelona to the Spanish-French border and is only awaiting completion of the Montpellier-to-Spain leg. This will open the area to tourism even more. And with France having the greatest tourism traffic in the world, this translates into serious property appreciation. For many, the region has even greater appeal than Provence to the east. Both areas are incredibly rich in history and historical structures from the times of the Roman Empire. Both have the quaint towns and villages as well as seaside resort areas. But the beautiful rolling hills of the Languedoc, largely blanketed with vineyards in rich emerald green in the summer, add a unique pastoral quality perhaps unlike any other in the world. In the fall, after the harvest, the vines change to golden and crimson tones. The mountain-top village of Saint-Guilhem Le Desert, not far from Montpellier, typifies many of the ancient villages. Perched on the crags above the Verdus Ravine and the Herault River, the tiny village almost brings tears to the visitor's eyes with its stoic beauty. It reminds me very much of the village featured in the recent motion picture "Chocolat". High above the village on a rocky pinnacle sits the Chateau de Geant, along with the remains of the 9th Century cloisters and monastery. The cloisters were disassembled and rebuilt as part of the famed Cloisters of New York City. Saint Guilhem, the founder of the monastery, had been a military advisor to Charlemagne - then left this exalted post for the life of a monk here. The town of Pezenas, which we visited several times, has retained an outstanding collection of buildings from the 13th Century, when it was the center of the cloth trade. This trade produced enormous wealth for the local bourgeoisie, which is reflected in the buildings - especially the interiors. The town boasts the home for a time of the famous French playwright Moliere, whose plays were performed there in the mid 17th Century, the high point in the town's history. The traditional market day on Saturday is still held, and the elongated town square and adjoining streets are crowded with local produce as well as works of art, prepared foods and clothing. Performers in Medieval costume and instruments add to the "retro" experience. Along the coast, seaside villages admittedly do not resemble the edifices of the rich and famous as seen at Nice, Cannes and Monte Carlo - though they may before long! These towns are just sleepy fishing villages that have recently added resort hotels and apartments. The town of Sete, for example, was once an island connected to the mainland by two sand spits. King Louis XIV had the harbor developed in 1666-69, resulting in one of France's largest harbors. A canal parallels the Mediterranean waterfront a block inland, and is lined with incredible seafood restaurants, art shops and the like. The waterfront now hosts huge cruise ships as well as fishing trawlers, a few lingering wine tankers and salt-carrying vessels. Another waterfront town a few miles southwest is Agde, somewhat less exploited but every bit as charming. The lagoon that extends from Sete to Agde is the site of extensive oyster farming - the strange rack structures out in the water can easily be seen for miles along the highway. Inland from Sete we visited the town of Marseillan, the home of the legendary Noilly-Pratt winery whose product is a world standard vermouth. Marseillan reminds me much of a quiet New England village, with it's churches, town square, immaculate streets and quaint shops. Except that the architecture is clearly French. During our visit, we stayed at a small inn in the tiny town of Lezignan laCebe, just north of Pezenas. With that as our base of operations, we made day trips to Pezenas, Marseillan, Agde, Marseillan-Plage, St. Guilhem le Desert, Gignac, Sete and several others. We talked to local American or British expats familiar with the area's properties and rental activities, as well as real estate agents in the area. Surprisingly, there is no network of realtors or equivalent of Multiple Listing Service (MLS) as in the U.S. Each agent has his own local listings and generally is unaware of any others. Many available properties have For Sale signs (a Vende in French) but they are easily overlooked. This makes for some difficulty in feeling one has really seen what is available, necessitating somewhat more care and time in a property search. If you are interested in a part time or full time rental property with income, you're on the right track! The property values in this region are escalating rapidly, as expected after the high speed trains make it more accessible. A modest investment would be in a small house in the towns or villages. These can be had for about $75,000 in good condition and should rent for 20-30 weeks a year, producing a good return after agency fees and services. The other category of rental property would be villas with pools. These can be had for $150,000 and up and demand rental of $1800 to $3500 per week - but only for about 10 weeks a year. Although this will probably give you a decent return, there is a security concern when the property is unoccupied and unobserved. The village houses have the advantage of nosy neighbors looking out for your interests. Either of these part-time rental scenarios allows for your own use for a month or so. If you wanted to rent long-term, you might do much better and still benefit from the appreciation. One outstanding opportunity that this area presents is a chance to have your own vineyard in the South of France! (talk about a status symbol!). Many small vineyards, maybe 5 acres, are members of a cooperative winery and take advantage of skilled local labor and rental machinery to get the crop to the vineyard each season. Pruning is done by hand, using local labor for about 4 days a year, and machines are used for fertilizing, spraying and harvesting. As a part owner of the co-op, you also have the privilege of buying a decent table wine at 2 or 3 cents a liter. Better quality varietal wines like Chardonnay or Merlot are somewhat more. How much would this cost, you ask. A couple of vineyards in this size range were recently on the market for about $24,000, but there is no house on these properties. A half-acre property with a serviceable house was listed at $178,000. And on the high end, a 17-hectare (about 40 acres) property near Pezenas with a house, barn and storage sheds, all necessary machinery and a large wine cellar was recently available for $890,000. This one is in full production with Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot and Pinot Noir grapes. I should mention that the smaller properties probably cannot produce any real income. If you are careful and fortunate, they will break even. You'll need maybe 15 acres (with the same care and luck) to make a living. For more information in the Pezenas area, you might contact agenceguy@wanadoo.fr . They can also help with villas or townhouses in the area. This beautiful
region of France, largely pastoral in character, is poised to become
another Provence. As in Provence, I believe the historic nature of the
cities and towns will be fiercely preserved - that is after all a major
draw for tourism. But the peaceful, romantic and relaxing character
of the area will attract an increasing number of visitors, both from
the hectic Paris community and the international tourist community,
especially in view of the improved accessibility. So, whether you might
be interested in the area for investment, retirement, vacationing or
even to become a vintner, now appears to be the time!
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