The history of the Fitou appellation begins not with Fitou but with Corbières. There has always been a notable difference between the quality of the wine from low yielding vines in the hills (Hautes Corbières) and the wine from high yielding vines in the plains around Beziers and Narbonne and the producers of the Hautes Corbières have long been on a mission to achieve recognition for their wines.
Initially the word "Corbières" was used for the wines as it designated a specific geographical area but the area was recognised as a single wine producing area - Corbières Viticole. The negociants may have known of the superior quality coming from the inland area but the consumer didn't as they were all under the label Corbières. The vignerons definitely didn't see any financial reward as they were paid the same for their carignan and grenache at 13° as an aramon at 10° from Narbonne.
In 1908, just after the Crise Viticole of 1907, Corbières Viticole covered 18 villages and the Hautes Corbières were well represented with 11 villages in the canton of Tuchan - but by 1923 there were over 70 villages producing 808 000 hl mainly from the plain. This increase in production lowered the price.
In 1936 AOC Rivesaltes and Côtes d'Agly were awarded for sweet fortified wines (Vin Doux Naturel) across the border in the Roussillon but nine villages of the Languedoc were able to reply to the AOC rules and were allowed to produce these appellations thus guaranteeing a higher price for their wines. The villages were Tuchan, Paziols, Villeneuve, Cascastel in the highland area and La Palme, Leucate, Treilles, Caves and Fitou in the maritime area.
The growers of these 9 villages contested the Corbières Viticole 12 times form 1930 to 1951 but it was never changed mainly because of the importance and wealth of the larger growers on the plain.
But the mission continued to get an AOC for a dry red wine rather than the generic name of Corbières Viticole. The village of Tuchan in the Hautes Corbières wanted an AOC called Côtes du Tauch named after the Tauch mountain that rises to 900 m behind the village but it was rejected by INAO as there was no documented history of wine making. At the same time the maritime villages were trying to get an appellation called AOC Fitou and unlike their counter parts in the Hautes Corbières they found a reference to Louis X111 and Louis XIV trying the red wine of Fitou.
The second World War had a devastating effect on the vineyards especially in the maritime area of the proposed Fitou appellation. Vineyards were ripped up and planted with essential vegetables and the Germans occupied the villages of Leucate and Lapalme.
After the war, highland Côtes du Tauch joined with maritime Fitou and requested a single appellation - AOC Fitou. In 1947 a delegation came down from Paris and the INAO visited Villeneuve and Cascastel and had a party in Leucate before finally awarding the Fitou appellation in 1948. The producers of Fitou were reassured by the appellation Fitou to differentiate it from the large Corbières area but it was going to take years before with wines were recognised by the consumer.
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