The Society's French Own-Label Case

The ultimate bistrot style-wine, this has intense and vibrant black-fruit perfume, a classic Beaujolais-Villages with good balance, vibrant red fruit and a ripe, yet fresh palate. Beaujolais has always been an ideal bistro wine and goes brilliantly with a wide variety of dishes, from charcuterie to fish, fowl and roasted vegetables. Delicious too, slightly chilled, with a baked Camembert or Brie and a baguette. The finest chickens make a top match for it too.

Dark and brimming with hedgerow fruit and a touch of spice, this is a full-bodied wine from the rugged Corbières landscape. Syrah is the principal grape alongside carignan, mourvèdre and grenache. An excellent choice for a wide variety of foods, from hearty stews to a very meaty pizza or even a hit of chilli.

The Society's Vin d'Alsace offers an excellent introduction to the wines of this most beautiful region of France. Rather than being made from a single grape variety, as is the case with most Alsatian wines, this is a blend. The blend is sylvaner, gewurztraminer, pinot gris, riesling, muscat and pinot blanc. 2024 is fresh and zesty with attractive florals, citrus and red apple notes. Pairs perfectly with sushi, noodles and ceviche.

This friendly and fresh-tasting claret is one of The Wine Society`s most consistently popular wines. Supplied for over a quarter of a century by family-owned Maison Sichel, the bespoke blend varies from vintage to vintage, but merlot takes the lead role, and the wine is made without any oak to avoid masking its bright, red and black-fruit flavours. This is made to be drunk young, on its own or with a wide variety of dishes. The label for this perennial favourite shows three muses that can also be seen on the Grand Theatre opera house in Bordeaux itself.

Juicy, floral, and appetising Loire cabernet franc made for us by Maison Bougrier in the young, fresh 'brasserie' style we have been enjoying for a few vintages now. The 2025 vintage is looking like an outstanding year for this late-ripening varietal where the warm year has provided a wine of deep colour with aromas of fresh blackberry and redcurrants, white pepper spice and a lovely hint of dried herb with a juicy, medium-bodied finish.

Blended from across the Loire in the warm 2025 vintage The Society's Loire Sauvignon is crisp and refreshing with soft stonefruit, grapefruit, and passionfruit notes without the overt herbaceousness of cooler vintages. Produced by longstanding partners Bougrier this is easy drinking, juicy, and lemony with hints of bay leaf and grapefruit, with part of the fruit sourced from Touraine, giving chalky character. Great with fresh fish or as an aperitif.

Picpoul de Pinet produces a clean, full-flavoured Languedoc white, lovely on its own or with olives and ideal with oysters, which is no coincidence since its spiritual home is by the sea, behind the oyster beds of the Bassin de Thau. It is refreshing, crisp and light-bodied.

Viognier thrives in its home of the Rhône Valley and this crisp, fresh and floral white has been made exclusively for us by Maison Les . Alexandrins who are based in the heart of the northern Rhône. From high-altitude vineyards in the Ardèche, expect honeysuckle, ginger and fresh apricot notes combined with a fleshy palate. This white works well with mild curries and roast chicken.

A fine, dry white Burgundy from the Mâconnais in southern Burgundy, the warmest part of the region. The wine is fresh and vibrant, with a round mouthfeel. Aromas of spring blossom meet flavours of golden apple and stone fruit, and there is a lovely streak of salty minerality. The quality of the wine reflects the deep involvement in its selection by successive buyers and the skill of our ‘man on the ground', Jean-Marc Darbon, who excels in sourcing the right blending options for us to work with. The zander (sandre in French) thrives in the rivers of Burgundy and is shown on this wine's label. It has a fine flavour because it is carnivorous and so is much superior to that of weed-eating fish. It's as good as wild brown trout to eat and appears frequently on menus in Burgundian restaurants. Don't hesitate to try it.

A pinot to delight the senses: fresh, round and fruity with a hint of cherry and plenty of charm. Best drunk a little cool. Much of it is sourced from around Limoux, which works well in years of heatwaves.

We have been working with the Jaume family for over 25 years and their wines continue to be a member favourite. Juicy, ripe, fruity grenache-syrah blend from this Vinsobres grower. Expect brambles and dark cherry and plums with hints of liquorice and clove spice. Juicy core and well-handled tannins.

From a warm Loire vintage, this Muscadet has extra weight and tropical-fruit notes on the palate. Chéreau Carré, our trusted partner for over 30 years, expertly handled the vintage, making a wine that reflects the vintage but retains Muscadet's signature saline expression. Just before the river Loire spills into the Atlantic, it is joined by the Sèvre and Maine rivers. The vineyards around their confluence produce the best Muscadet, whose distinctive tangy flavour is enhanced by prolonged contact with the yeast lees produced during fermentation (sur Lie).