NEW YORK, July 3, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading up to Bastille Day (French National Day), the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins du Roussillon (CIVR) is pleased to announce that they will be the exclusive wine sponsor of the New York French Restaurant Week July 7-14th. Partnering with Open Table, French Restaurant Week brings to New Yorkers a fine dining experience to sample French food, and wines from the Roussillon region.

From delectable reds, crisp whites and Fortified Sweet Wines (known as Vins Doux Naturels in French), Roussillon wines pair perfectly for those looking to take a journey to France without requiring a passport!

Introducing New Yorkers to one of the most fascinating French wine-producing regions

One of France's hidden gems; the region is located in the South of France between Spain, the Mediterranean Sea, the Pyrenees & the Corbières Mountains. Roussillon is a small area, but with an extremely varied landscape and a sunny, hot climate that favors a truly artisanal vine growing. Vineyards are either perched on cliff tops or nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees. The location, paired with the wine producers' expertise, delivers a variety of elegant wines style making each tasting a real discovery of this not-so well-known region.

With its dry red, white and rosé wines, and its Fortified Sweet Wines, Roussillon has a perfect palette of wines with lots of character for any occasion or any food, at any time of the year. "From Italian to typical American dishes such as lobster rolls, pork chops, and cheesecake to Mexican inspired food like guacamole and salsa the wines of Roussillon go perfectly with the foods Americans love to eat", states Eric Aracil, the Export Manager of the Roussillon Wine Board (CIVR).

Pairing the wines of Roussillon with 20+ restaurants in New York

Over twenty participating restaurants in New York City, from Brooklyn to the Upper West Side, will offer an option to diners for $35.78 which includes a glass of Roussillon wine. In addition to the wine pairing option, participating restaurants will offer a bottle of wine with a meal for four diners for $178.90.

"The US is our 2nd largest market. However, our wines are still lacking awareness in the country. This is why we decided this year to be part of the French Restaurant Week so we can show New Yorkers our wine-making expertise and to bring to the Big Apple a little part of our sunny & dry Spanish inspired region," notes Eric Aracil. "With this partnership, we welcome New Yorkers to discover our region as a tourist destination. If they want to escape the busy life and hop on a plane to enjoy an amazing experience filled with stunning white beaches, castles dated back to 12th century, and the citadel; as well as French and Spanish local products, our region has a lot to offer!"

List of confirmed participating restaurants in New York:
http://www.frenchrestaurantweek.com/category/participating--‐restaurants/

About Wines of Roussillon

Shaped like an amphitheater and nestled in the South of France between Spain, the Mediterranean Sea, the Pyrenees & the Corbières Mountains, Roussillon is known for its diversity of wines & terroirs. Thanks to the region's unique geology and microclimates, each of the 23 authorized grape varieties reaches its fullest expression in these soils. Bringing together a small community of 2,500 (young) winemakers, 24 cooperative cellars & 380 private ones, the sunniest region of France produced, in 2013, 19.5M gallons (almost 98 million bottles) which represents less than 1% of worldwide wine production. With its unique patchwork of soils, Roussillon offers a diverse range of wines-including 14 PDOs & 3PGIs - with distinctive qualities (dry still wines and Vins Doux Naturels [fortified sweet wines]). The United States is now the second largest export market (in volume) - after Belgium - with 14% of total shipments. Most of the region's exports are dry red & rosé wines (83%), followed by dry white wines (12%) & Vins Doux Naturels (5%).

For additional information: http://www.winesofroussillon.com

For more information, samples, or media requests please contact:
Nadea Mina
Media Manager
nadea.mina@sopexa.com
646-462-4277