What Is Garrigue, and if You’re a Wine Lover, Why Should You Care?

Like terroir, the term garrigue was born in France and is a common reference in the world of wine. 

Garrigue originated from the Provençal word garriga. It’s a type of scrubby vegetation found on limestone soils, exclusive to the Mediterranean region. Garrigue encompasses a family of scrubs that includes wild-growing native aromatic plants, herbs and trees like juniper, lavender, olive trees, rosemary and thyme. They thrive in the hot and dry climate there.

In the wine world, the term is often a descriptor of wine from Southwestern France, especially the Languedoc, Provence, and the Southern Rhône. Garrigue is shorthand for the herbaceous and peppery aromas and flavors the plants impart to the wines.

"“Garrigue is both a poetic and tangible concept, deeply rooted in the Mediterranean landscape and culture. When you encounter the scent of garrigue in a wine, it’s like being instantly transported to the heart of southern France.”"

Gérard Bertrand, winemaker

French winemaker Gérard Bertrand has 2,500 acres of biodynamically farmed grapes under vine at Chateau l’Hospitalet, located inside Narbonne’s national park. He says that garrigue is deeply embedded in France’s soil and identity.

“Garrigue is both a poetic and tangible concept, deeply rooted in the Mediterranean landscape and culture,” says Bertrand. “The diversity of garrigue makes it a hallmark of the region, and its distinctive aromas are beautifully reflected in our wines. When you encounter the scent of garrigue in a wine, it’s like being instantly transported to the heart of southern France.”

This garrigue quality is not just present in French wines. Such plants can be found around the world. They are present in wines from North America, southern and western Australia, Chile, and South Africa. They have an unmistakable fingerprint of scent and taste cultivated from their regions. While all go by different names, the idea is the same.

South Africa’s fynbos

The South African counterpart to garrigue is fynbos, a diverse and fragrant shrubland located in the southern coastal area of the country. Key plants that grow there include the herbal and citrusy buchu, wild rosemary, proteas, and rooibos.

Boschendal Wine Estate is located in Groot, part of South Africa’s Franschhoek Valley, which has almost 750 acres of vineyards. Cellar master Jacques Viljoen says that fynbos shapes the character of the wines there.

“The unique vegetation contributes to the overall environment, subtly influencing the vines and their expression of terroir,” says Viljoen. “This influence becomes apparent in wines that reflect herbal, floral and earthy nuances, reminiscent of the surrounding landscape.”

In the Cape Winelands, known to produce some of South Africa’s best wines, the vineyards are bordered or interspersed with small shrubs like renosterbos and other fynbos species.

“The aromatic oils and compounds released by these shrubs can contribute to the vineyard's microclimate,” says Viljoen. “Some winemakers believe that such flora enhances the herbal, earthy, and savory characteristics found in wines, particularly in varietals like Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.”

Wines made from grapes cultivated around fynbos will deliver aromas of wild rosemary, and subtle, tea-like herbal tones. Tasting notes may include earthy, mineral nuances with a floral and savory complexity.

Chile’s Matorral

The Chilean Matorral ecoregion encompasses a roughly 250-acre strip from the Andes Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. Matorral consists of plants like espino, romerillo, jarilla and retamilla that thrive in dry-farmed areas. The plants lend fresh and vibrant aromas to the wines, says Sebastián Labbé, winemaker for the Maipo Valley’s Viña Santa Rita.

The winery has around 7,400 acres of vines across its 29,652 acres. Labbé says that a significant portion of uncultivated land allows matorral to thrive, particularly in the Colchagua Costa and Maule regions.

“There is a direct connection between the presence of the matorral in different territories and the evolution of the wines produced there,” says Labbé. “It plays a role in a wine’s terroir expression, contributing to a unique aromatic identity that profoundly connects the wine to its natural surroundings. The conditions that accompany Matorral, such as dry-farmed soils and specific climates, also promote balanced grape ripening, enhancing freshness and concentration.”

Matorral’s influence can be perceived most in Cinsault, Carignan and País. Matorral tends to enhance a grape’s aromatic character. It adds layers of freshness and complexity while it imparts notes of dry herbs and rosemary.

Australia’s eucalyptus

Eucalyptus, a fast-growing genus of more than 660 types of shrubs and trees, is native to Australia, primarily the southern and western regions. Commonly known as gum trees or mountain ash, it can reach heights of up to 300 feet.

Their effect on wines, while distinct, is not universally beloved.

“Eucalyptus can be part of the terroir that defines the wines in Australia,” says Virginia Willcock, chief winemaker at Margaret River’s Vasse Felix. “It comes off as mint, and it’s a pretty, sweet herbal note as long as there’s not too much of an influence.”

Indeed, a little eucalyptus goes a long way. The Australian Wine Research Institute published a report that found grapes harvested from vineyards with eucalyptus trees more than 25 or 50 meters from the rows contained low levels of 1,8-cineole, a natural compound found in eucalyptus that gives the plant its distinctive aroma. Wines made from grapes located close to the trees contained high levels of the compound, which is extracted during fermentation on skins.

For most white wines, unless the grapes are fermented on skin to create an orange wine, the effect is negligible.

Willcock does not plant Cabernet Sauvignon blocks too close to the winery’s stand of trees. A hint of eucalyptus character, even in Cabernet, is welcome as long as it doesn’t overwhelm.

“Cabernet really should have herbal notes,” says Willcock. “Not everyone has always welcomed herbal notes in Cabernet, but we have. We also make sure we preserve the fruit and the herbal notes without allowing anything to become too powerful by incorporating a lot of oxygen into the winemaking process. It really allows the wines to relax.”

In red wines found in these regions, you’ll find sweet, minty notes in aroma and taste. 

North America’s chaparral

Chaparral is comprised of shrubs, bushes and small trees. Typically found in dry, hot regions of California and northern Mexico, it is often dominated by sagebrush.

Tyler Thomas, president and winemaker at Santa Ynez, California’s Star Lane Vineyard and Dierberg Vineyards, says the chaparral made itself known to him at Star Lane from the start.

“When I joined in 2013, I remember commenting to the team about the scent of sweetness in the air,” says Thomas. “There was a distinctly sweet, sage-y quality.”

In Cabernet Sauvignon, the chaparral imbues the wine with what Thomas characterizes as a classic herbal quality.

“Jeb Dunnuck and other critics have described our wine as being classic and St-Julien-like,” says Thomas, referring to the Bordeaux AOC located in the Médoc subregion. “Now, I can’t scientifically prove that it’s the chaparral, because that would require serious funding and the help of a university to measure the effects of the compounds emitted from the chaparral on our Cabernet, but I instinctively believe it’s the chaparral.”

Napa and Sonoma winemaker Kirk Venge, who has made wine from vineyards surrounded by chaparral in Howell Mountain, Pritchard Hill, Oakville Bench, Atlas Peak, Coombsville and more, says that it can deliver tension and seemingly contrary notes.

“I often see rusticity, but also great refinement of tannins in Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot,” says Venge. He says that climate and terrain work hand-in-hand with the scrubland. “The warmer temperatures of these hillsides, which have little tree growth, make for a more pronounced effect than you find in areas covered in tall oak and pine forest.”

In red Bordeaux varieties, the effect is distinct, with ripe California textures and power, but Bordeaux-style herbal restraint in flavor. 

Southern France’s garrigue

In France, garrigue means more than flavor. It means a sense of history, culture, and place.

“La garrigue forms a natural cocoon, a barrier of vegetation that shields the vines from strong winds and other harsh weather conditions,” says Sébastien Ferrari, fourth-generation chairman at Château Malherbe, which has 150 acres of biodynamically farmed vines on the French Riviera in Provence. “It helps to preserve sufficient moisture levels in the soils during dry spells. And because la garrigue encourages biodiversity to thrive, it also acts as a natural pest control and is vital to the health and resilience of our vineyards. It is not just a backdrop. It’s a vital ally.”

Fellow vintner Bertrand is so invested in garrigue that he created a wine to honor it. Vents & Garrigue, a new range of wine to embody the exceptional terroir of Languedoc, will launch in 2025.

“It embodies the power and authenticity of the Mediterranean, shaped by the singular essence of garrigue,” says Bertrand.

In both aroma and flavor, you’ll find herbal notes like sage, rosemary and lavender. Pungent, floral flavors are also present in Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and the region’s other red grapes.

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