EVERY year more than a million people congregate in New England to watch leaves change colour, then fall from the trees. The view can be exceptional. But an alternative scene of equal beauty takes place much closer to home each autumn.

In the Languedoc, the swath of country between the Rhône and the Spanish border, the landscape is dominated by vines. There is an enormous number of varieties, which together with the mild, dry autumns contribute to a colour show that is nothing short of spectacular.

To appreciate the scene at its best, fly to Carcassonne or Montpellier, hire a car and head towards Pézenas. This is an attractive Renaissance town, where Molière first staged some of his plays. For a while it was the capital of the region, so there are plenty of fine buildings. But you are here for landscape, not architecture, so head north on the D13 towards Roujan.

At Roujan, turn right towards Neffiès. Here, in the co-operative’s wine shop, you can taste and buy excellent wines for less than £3 a bottle. If you are adventurous, you can buy it by the litre from a pump in the shop — and it’s cheaper than petrol. Continue through Neffiès and the road winds up a hill, past drystone walls and olive trees. As you gain altitude, you get a fantastic view of the Hérault valley stretching all the way to the Mediterranean coast. And on both sides there are large vineyards, lit by the sun to reveal stunning colours.

Continue down the hill towards Cabrières, stopping if you are thirsty to drink at the spring that gushes even in the driest summers. There is a co-operative at Cabrières, where the wine is possibly even better value than at Neffiès. Unless you enjoy map reading, in which case you can pick a circuitous route up in the hills, it’s time to retrace your steps to Roujan, where you turn right and drive towards Faugères, a town that lends its name to the small appellation known as the Cru Lumière, which roughly translates as the “crop of light”. There is something special about the light here: at times it is almost tangible.

There is a good chambres d’hôte at Faugères called La Vigneronne. Downstairs in the wine bar, where you can enjoy tapas lunches, is one of the biggest collections of Faugères wines for sale. From here you can walk — or drive — to the windmills at the top of the hill and enjoy views down to the Mediterranean coast.

Head back towards Pézenas and, just before you get to Gabian, turn right towards Laurens. Following the signs to Château de Grézan, you will stumble across what looks to be a crusader castle nestling in the vines. In fact, there was once a Knights Templar’s command post here, with castellated walls built in the 19th century. Then the vineyards of the Languedoc were the most productive in the world. With the coming of the railways the landowners of the Midi made a fortune. They squandered it on extravagant castles — it is said there are more castles around Béziers than Bordeaux — and they were all designed by one company called Garros. They are building housing estates now in the Languedoc, so it’s worth visiting before the vineyards are replaced by concrete walls and breeze-blocks.

Rupert Wright is the author of Notes from the Languedoc (Ebury Press, £7.99)

Need to know

Where to stay: Hotel de Vigniamont (00 33 4 67 35 14 88, www.hoteldevigniamont.com) in Pézenas; doubles from £40. La Vigneronne (67 95 78 49, www.lavigneronne.com), Faugères; doubles from £40.

Getting there: Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) flies to Carcassonne and Montpellier.

Further information: www.cdt-herault.fr.