Le Fruit Defendu – the forbidden fruit. The Languedoc is often overlooked for great wine in France, but is home to some amazing old vines. This wine, produced from some of said vines of well-pruned cinsault (a Rhône blending grape prohibited in the local official appellation - thus, "forbidden") is a dark, spicy yet approachable expression of this pocket of France. Full of bramble and hedgerow, with cinnamon and liquorice, it fills the mouth and leaves you wanting more.

France's Languedoc region is generally regarded to be one of the best places for wine lovers anywhere on earth. And it isn't difficult to see why - two thousand years of viticultural history, blazing sunshine throughout the summer, the sparkling mediterranean sea almost always visible on the horizon, and a reverence for fine wines which is exceptional, even for France. It is here we find the village of Magalas, and the winery Domaine de Magellan, which is responsible for the sexily packaged Le Fruit Defendu wines which have been highly sought after for the past few years. The winery is run by a certain Bruno Lafon, a serious vintner who defected from his own family estate in search of something new, something to truly call his own. He searched all over the fine wine provinces of his native France, before falling head-over-heels in love with the Languedoc, and setting down to the very real business of making wines he felt were worthy of the location. Grenache is essentially a Mediterranean grape, full of sunshine and vibrancy, and as such, wines with a significant amount of this grape in their blend are best paired with fresh, zingy Mediterranean dishes. Think roasted peppers, slow cooked pork or roasted lamb dishes, served with paprika-spiked couscous. Grenache also pairs well with some Indian curries, too, although stick to the darker, deeper ones with a good kick of spice and tomato.