Le XV is known to thousands as our ‘King of the Big Reds’. It owes its intensity to Grenache from vines, some over 100 years old, that grow on the rocky slopes of the Pyrenean foothills in the Montagne Noire and yield only tiny quantities of grapes. Le XV also benefits from the painstaking care of self-confessed southern French wine aficionado Mark Hoddy, whose draconian selection process sees him earmark in advance every vineyard he intends to harvest and micro-manage every stage of the winemaking. This takes time, but you can taste the result in every delicious glass!

Richly textured, with layers of ripe bramble fruit kept smooth by warming alcohol and soft, ripe tannins, this is a red to enjoy with roast lamb, steak or a hearty stew.

It’s a rarely known fact that the Languedoc was the first French region to be introduced to viticultural practices by the Romans. This balmy red wine country took a hit in the 1980s when it became known for high volume wine, which lacked quality. But today, that quality is back thanks to passionate and dedicated Languedoc enthusiasts, such as Laurent Guillot. Born into a fourth generation Burgundian wine family, Laurent decided to head south and create an estate of his own. A north meets south style is evident in this spicy, supple red. With this wine he won Gold, crafting an authentic expression of the wild, sun-blessed terroir. Syrah based, it’s laden with blackberry and peppery spice, with a pep of fresh red fruit from Négrette.

Stretching south from the Rhône to the Med, the Camargue is a beautiful landscape, renowned for wild white horses, flamingoes and a wonderful national park. Less well known are its great wines. This Provence style pink comes from the historic Domaine Lamargue, where wine has been made since the 12th century.

Winemaker there is Nicolas Gornes, who trained in New Zealand, California, then with the Rothschild estate. He works with Jean Christophe, who was one of France’s first growers to go organic and Philippe Combe, who resigned as president of his local co-operative to support the organic movement.

Amazingly this fabulous elegant pink is made from 11 native red and white varieties. Fresh berries, mandarin and peach, it's a delectable rosé.