Trade association Inter Oc is rolling out its first ever UK marketing campaign in a bid to increase awareness about Pays d'Oc IGP wines.

Specialist PR and marketing agency Westbury Communications has been appointed to implement activities over the coming year, which will include a series of masterclasses and tastings, along with regular newsletters and press activity designed to educate both the trade and consumers.

A focal point of the campaign will be the first Pays d'Oc IGP trade tasting scheduled to take place on September 26 in central London. The tasting will showcase the 2012 Pays d'Oc IGP Collection; a selection of over 50 of the top Pays d'Oc premium wines.

As part of its international campaign to promote and raise awareness of the region and its wines, Pays d'Oc IGP will also be running tailored PR and marketing programmes in five other countries including France, the USA and China.

Florence Barthès, general director of Inter Oc, said: "The constant innovations and the diversity of styles has provided Pays d'Oc IGP grape varietal wines with a strong opportunity to become a key player in this market - our main aim with this new campaign will be to educate wine industry professionals and consumers about the protected origin and variety of our wines, highlighting the fact that Pays d'Oc IGP provides excellent quality and reasonable prices."

Pays d'Oc IGP fact file:

90,000 hectares
1/3 of hectares in Languedoc-Roussillon produce Pays d'Oc IGP wines
1/10 of hectares in France produce Pays d'Oc IGP wines
5.8 million hectolitres produced in 2010/2011 (equivalent of 770 million bottles)
65% of French IGP wines are Pays d'Oc IGP and 90% of French IGP varietal wines are Pays d'Oc IGP
5th world exporter by volume
170 countries consumed Pays d'Oc IGP wines in 2010
1 out of 2 IGP wines sold in French supermarkets is a Pays d'Oc IGP wine
251,462 hectoliters (equivalent of 33,5 million bottles) of Pays d'Oc IGP wine were exported to the UK in 2011.