Hmm…interesting. Will you be anywhere else in France? Early April, there may be something available, perhaps in other regions. Unless someone has more information to add, try looking into other major wine regions of France (if you really want to go to a winery, that is.) Not too far from Perpignan/Languedoc are the Bordeaux and Provence wine regions (and of course the Languedoc wine region which will be closest to you.) A little further is Côtes-du-Rhône. And then in the north there’s Champagne, Bourgogne, Alsace, and Pays-de-la-Loire. And off the coast of the mainland is Corsica (Corse).

I don’t know what times of the year most wineries are open to the public, but wine harvest season is August through October (depending on the region). Maybe this has something to do with closures in March (late winter)?

We went to Alsace in late March, most wineries were shut down. I’d say one in ten shopkeepers would respond to heavy knocking on the door and open up. I guess it has less to do with tradition and more with total lack of potential buyer. After all, who would be crasy enough to drink Alsatian wines in March ?

Probably more popular wineries, and those in more famous regions like Bordeaux are more likely to be open even during the slow season.

Seva, you’re probably right (about why they’re closed).

In France (as elsewhere in southern Europe, at least), they don’t do "wine tastings" as a recreational activity like they do in the US and Australia. At least not until now, to the best of my knowledge. If you go to a wine event (like a wine expo), you’re expected to be serious about buying wine (you’ll see all sorts of people there, lots of families stocking up for the year…not wine conoisseurs and professors like you would expect in the US. I bought a bottle from a 15-year-old who was helping his father. Wine expos are great, there’s lots of mom-and-pop vineyards selling their own wine). Wine is a staple dinner beverage (as well as cooking ingredient) for southern Europeans. Wine is not something exotic or high-class or sinister for southern Europeans.

On the other hand, there’s specific "wine routes" you can take to take your own wine tour through a certain wine-producing region. You can ask any local tourism office.

I hope you find what you’re looking for madhatter. And have fun!!