With its vast parcels of vineyards and thriving wine tourism, the Languedoc-Roussillon is a haven for wine lovers and adventurous drinkers who want to explore its diverse style of wines, grapes and blends.

From the sunny Med coastline to the eastern end of the Pyrenees, the region produces some of the best tasting, most affordable wines of France and, to point you in the right direction, The Sud de France Top 100 competition offers a passport to pleasure.

Now in it's third year, 600 wines from 178 producers were blind tasted by six panels of judges and the shortlisted wines were then tasted again by different judges. Once the Top 100 wines were selected, 19 trophies were awarded to 67 producers and of these, 68% went to the red corner, 27% to the whites and 5% of rose winemakers were tickled pink.

"The appeal of Languedoc-Roussillon wines and increasing curiosity about this dynamic region stems from the fact that it stretches along the Mediterranean, from the Rhone valley all the way to the Spanish border and as far as Carcassonne to the north," says Isabelle Kanaan, executive director for La Maison de La Region Languedoc-Roussillon.

"We are seeing more experimental winemaking by established popular brands through to boutique, limited volume producers. Above all, the Top 100 campaign promotes this taste discovery and encourages consumers to join this adventure."

To put you on the right track, here are some wonderful wines that impressed the judges...

:: Paul Mas Estate Viognier 2014, PGI, Pays D'Oc, France (£9.99, Majestic)

A large-scale producer of consistently good wines, the viognier grape is richly scented with apricots and peach notes and according to the panel: "This wine is a bright gold straw colour with yellow tints. Lovely flavours of peach, dry fruits and vanilla. This is a rich and mellow wine with a long and toasty finish."

:: Seigneur De Lauret Pic Saint Loup Rose 2014, AOC Languedoc, France (£9.99, Ocado.com)

The experts cite fresh acidity as the hallmark of a good rose and if you're usually lured by a Provencal label, it's worth considering this blend of syrah and grenache which offers bright berry fruits and long, fresh acidity. "An elegant, dry rose, and a must for fans of Provence rose to try. Pastel pink coloured, with aromas of wild raspberries. Fine and elegant with notes of red fruits and beautifully balanced acidity."

:: Gerard Bertrand Syrah, Carignan, Minervois 2013, AOC Minervois, France (£9.99, Waitrose)

Minervois is one of the most important red producing appellations in the Languedoc with a wide range of grape varieties such as syrah, grenache, carignan and mouvedre. This trophy-winning blend of syrah and carignan produces concentrated flavours and was described as: "Vivid, structured and dense with plush, generous compact black fruits, with a persistent finish."

:: Abbotts & Delaunay Cotes Du Roussillon Reserve 2013, AOC Cotes du Roussillon, France (£11.99, new vintage coming soon, www.averys.com)

A boutique winery with three lines, the reserve label represents wines from the Languedoc's key appellations and this blend of syrah, grenache, carignan and mouvedre certainly hits the right note. A top-flight red with an emphasis on the art of blending and supple tannins, this is how it won the judges over: "Deep in colour with carmine hues. Aromas of raspberry, violet, liquorice and blackberry underscored by spicy notes. Full-bodied from the start with soft tannins. Long on the finish."

Elsewhere, TTD Sainsbury's Languedoc White Wine, France (£8, Sainsbury's) was a silver medal winner at the International Wine Challenge 2015 and the trio of grenache blanc, marsanne and vermentino grapes lift this wine to make it fresh and minerally with attractive citrus and floral notes, wafts of white peach and a slightly creamy character - all at a handsome price.

Also highlighting value for money from this sunny and rugged stretch of land, Aldi have a fruity pinot noir at less than a fiver that was awarded a silver at the International Wine & Spirit Competition, along with being commended by Decanter magazine. Try Vignobles Roussellet Pinot Noir, France (£4.39, Aldi) which is soft, smooth and spicy with blackberry and raspberry flavours and a rustic character that cries out for a cassoulet stew.

:: BEST BUY

Made in Manchester... Worth foraging for, Thomas Dakin Small Batch Manchester Gin (£37.50, 70cl, www.harveynichols.com) is named in honour of Thomas Dakin, who created the world's first quality gin in the 18th century in the north of England. Made using a secret recipe of 11 botanicals, it's juniper-led with sweet orange and citrus notes and a smooth, savoury finish with a hint of red cole - a root botanical, otherwise known as horseradish - that sets it apart from other gins.

:: LIQUID NEWS

SPARtacular seven... For a tasting journey from the Loire Valley to Argentina, SPAR have introduced seven new wines to their core range with special summer promotions on the following four from August 20 to September 9.

Rose d'Anjou, France (£8 or £6.50 on promotion), Verdicchio Classico, Italy (£8 or £6.50 on promotion), Les Deux Roches - Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie - France (£7 or £6 on promotion) and Pays d'Oc French Malbec, France (£7.50 or £6 on promotion)

And the following three new wines are on special promotion from now until August 19.

Castillo de la Mota Verdejo DO Rueda, Spain (£7.50 or £5.50 on promotion), Argentinian Malbec, Argentina (£7 or £6 on promotion) and Valpolicella Ripasso, Italy (£10 or £8 on promotion)