Scattered on the high-altitude slopes of the Cévennes foothills, lie the vineyards of Terrasses de Larzac. The top wine from there fetches £100 a bottle. Nearby are the other Languedoc crus - Montpeyroux, Pézenas and Pic Saint Loup. Tucked away among them and in the shadow of the great Mont Baudile lies a forgotten IGP, named after this towering mountain.

Cave Fonjoya boasts 90% production of this tiny area and the very finest grapes are reserved for this wine. A classic blend of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre, it's a sumptuous, smooth red, with polished tannins and deep black fruit with herbal nuances. Pure charm and a great partner to grilled meats, ideal at a barbecue, or with a rich, garlicky, herby casserole, veggie or not!

Renowned French winemaker Gérard Bertrand makes his £40+ a bottle Corbières in craggy Boutenac. Just across a small country road is the village of Fabrezan and its equally amazing vineyards. It's where, in fact, Tony Laithwaite bought his first Corbières shipment back in 1971. Today young couple Amelie and Jean-Baptiste work tirelessly, in evenings and weekends (after their day jobs as consultant winemakers), tending their ancient vines and making their cru quality Corbières.

The vines were planted by J-B's great grandfather, a cellar built by his son, but more recently the grapes were all sold to the local coop. J-B and Amelie took over in 2007 and decided they could make something much better. This fabulous Grand Cru style is the result.

The Orange style is a real hipster wine of today. It's a white wine, made like a red - fermented on its skins. There's minimal intervention too, so the wines have lots of interesting funky flavours, balanced here by classic freshness. A tasty drop.

Wine International magazine decreed, “the revival of Muscadet is coming from growers like Gadais”, a 4th-generation estate, run today by father and son, Christophe and Pierre-Henri Gadais. It was founded in 1952 by Louis Gadais – one of the first winemakers in Nantes to bottle his own wines (most was sold to merchants in bulk). La Grande Réserve du Moulin is their top cuvée, using the best bunches of Melon de Bourgogne (the only grape permitted in Muscadet) from their vineyards. It’s a fine white aged sur lie, meaning it’s left for months on its fine lees to add subtle creamy complexity to the floral apple and pear fruit. 2023 was an exceptional vintage for Muscadet, as grapes were picked during the September heatwave. An ace seafood white.