Some say that the worlds first sparkling wine was produced in this region in 1531 by monks at the abbey in Saint Hilaire. Others say 'not proven'. Located South of the valley of the Aude, historically the best wines have been Crément de Limoux, once made purely from Mauzac grapes but now mixed with Chardonay, Chenin, Mauzac and Pinot Noir. The name Blanquette derives from the fine white coating which forms on the leaves of the Mauzac vines, the traditional grape variety of the Limoux vineyard.
Total surface area of Cremant production in 2018 was 823 hectares (2,032 acres)
Total Cremant production in 2018 was 5.8 million bottles of which 44% was exported.
Some important sparkling wines from the Languedoc region are: