the occitan cross...

...triggers a rush of joy and memory of the Languedoc, seafood and my beloved 'Languedoc lasses'.
To find  it on a green bottle of picpoul de pinet at the 'bottle-o' was such a thrill.

One of the oldest Languedoc grapes, the Piquepoul has been growing near the Thau Lagoon, to the west of the Mediterranean’s Golfe de Lyon, for centuries. White is the most common, though both blush and black grapes are to be found. As early as 1618, the botanist J.B. Maniol cited Piquepoul as one of the best known Languedoc grapes in his work "Sylve plantarium".
It grows in a dry climate, so the end-of-season humidity helps grapes fill out and finish ripening. The grapes grow in loose bunches, are oval shaped and come off easily. That is why, in the olden days, trays were often placed beneath the vines to catch falling grapes !