Marcillac (AOC)
| Wine region | |
| Official name | Marcillac |
|---|---|
| Type | AOC |
| Year established | 1990 |
| Country |
 France
|
| Sub-regions | Aveyron |
| Soil conditions | "Rougier" (soil deriving its reddish colour from the iron oxides it contains), but also partly calcereous and to a lesser extent schist |
| Total area | 200 ha |
| Size of planted vineyards | 161 hectares |
| Grapes produced | Fer Servadou or Mansoi, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc |
Marcillac is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée for wine in South West France and is located 20 km to the north-west of Rodez in the Aveyron department. It is located close to the river Aveyron which via Tarn flows into Garonne.
This wine-growing area developed under the auspices of the Abbey of Conques almost 1,000 years ago.
Initially a thriving business, wine production met the needs of the local population. The wines were held in high esteem by the middle classes and by the clergy of Rodez, whose superiors sited their country residence in the wine-growing area. They were also consumed by miners and agricultural workers. However, a public health crisis at the end of the 19th century, the frosts of the early 20th century and the decline of the mines combined to bring down wine production, and it reached its lowest point ever in 1965. It was at this point that a handful of producers decided to take action in order to prevent the wine industry from becoming completely extinct. In 1965 they decided to apply for VDQS status (Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure), i.e. the classification immediately below AOC wine, which it was granted under the name Vin de Marcillac. The growers re-landscaped the vineyards, creating terraces in order to allow maximum mechanisation of their work. In 1990 the wine-growing area was granted AOC status under its present name, Marcillac.
This appellation is located to the north-west of Rodez in the Aveyron department. Production is spread across the communes of Marcillac-Vallon, Balsac, Clairvaux-d'Aveyron, Goutrens, Mouret, Nauviale, Pruines, Salles-la-Source, Saint-Cyprien-sur-Dourdou, Saint-Christophe-Vallon and Valady.
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