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. Geography Rivesaltes is made in the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region, around the commune of Rivesaltes in southern France, historically and culturally part of Northern Catalonia. 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 Canigou 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. Winemaking The production process, known in France as mutage, is similar to that used to make Port, and dates to the 13th century. A neutral grape spirit is added to the must to halt fermentation while sugar levels are still high, preserving the natural sweetness of the grape. The wines are then matured, sometimes in oak barrels, or typically outside in glass bottles (called demijohns or bonbonnes) for a year. While in the sealed bottles, the wine is exposed to sun, rain, temperature swings, and extreme weather; the heat allows the wine to maderise. The wine then matures in barrels for a minimum of four years. The resulting wine bears a similarity to tawny port