Le Versant was born with the idea of creating modern wines with aromatic profiles to please the broadest audience and suit every type of consumption, and it now produces 300,000 bottles, 50,000 of which are shipped to the UK.

To create these profiles, the winegrowers of Les Vignobles Foncalieu pooled all their know-how and experience to set up an ambitious project, based on strict plot selection in some of France's lesser-known geographical areas, in order to get specific ripeness levels and create aromatic, elegant varietal wines.

Marie Annick Consola, UK on-trade manager, said: "We want to prioritise our branded wines because we strongly believe in their quality and value, and investing in the brand will satisfy our existing customers and allow us to reach out to new audiences."

Nearly half of its branded wine produced is from the Le Versant range, which comes in nine varietal wines; a Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Chardonnay, Grenache rosé, Marselan rosé, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. All are classified IGP Pays d'Oc.

Le Versant stockists in the UK include: Fuller Smith & Turner, the City Beverage Company, Venus Wine Merchants, Hennings Wine Merchants and Raffles Wines.