 During both World Wars the Languedoc was responsible for providing the daily wine rations given to French soldiers . In 1962 , Algeria gained its independence from France , bringing about an end to the blending of the stronger <unk> red wine to mask the thin le <unk> <unk> . This event , coupled with French consumers moving away from cheap red wines in the 1970s , has contributed to several decades of surplus wine production in France , with Languedoc as the largest contributor to the European " wine lake " and recurring European Union subsidies aimed at reducing production . These developments prompted many Languedoc producers to start <unk> on higher quality , but has also led to many local and regional protests , including violent ones from the infamous <unk> <unk> d <unk> <unk> ( <unk> ) . 
