Bijou ramps up its reds

Organic French rosé producer Bijou Wines is expanding its range in 2023 to include reds from unexplored regions in the South of France.

Bijou has specialised in producing premium rosé since its launch in 2014, but this year the producer is turning the page on a new chapter in which reds will be the star.

“We aim to be the reference for unique and qualitative blends from Southern regions of France,” says Pauline Nardo, international sales and marketing manager for Bijou Wines. “Our goal has always been to be the best in class in every way. And while Bijou de Sophie Valrose Rosé remains our flagship wine, we want to expand the range by adding new red wines from lesser known regions of South of France.”

Among these is an organic, sustainably farmed wine called Un Bijou de Terroir, sourced from IGP Cevennes. “We are extremely enthusiastic about this new release for 2023, sourced from a northern, fresher part of Languedoc. We were just amazed by the quality,” reveals Nardo.

Un Bijou de Terroir will stand alongside a new red addition to the producer’s Eminence range which until now has comprised of one rosé from the Languedoc. The new red in the range hails from AOP St Saturnin, which has a Mediterranean climate, sheltered from winds, providing the vines with considerable sunshine and heat.

While the rosé boom is far from over, Bijou’s decision to add more reds to its range was made with global palates in mind, particularly in the Asia-Pacific market.

“Conscious of the challenge of rosé in some regions such as Asia, we are confident that these new releases will fit very well with Asian palates and food pairing,” Nardo tells db.

As well as championing its new reds, Bijou is also forging ahead with developing its already sustainable packaging, adding even more formats to its existing cans, pouches and lightweight bottles.

“We have developed an extensive portfolio of low carbon-footprint formats (wines in cans and 1.5L pouches),” says Nardo, who is looking forward to adding still more green designs to the brand’s line-up.

This sustainable packaging chimes with the contents inside, with all grapes used in Bijou wines sourced from either organic or HVE vineyards, the latter of which has proved valuable by keeping biodiversity conservation at its core.

“Ideally we would like to have both certifications on all our wines, but we have also found that sometimes wines of stunning quality come from remote regions where vineyards are still in the process of being certified,” says Nardo.

“Certifications are important because they give consumers a better understanding of our commitment to sustainability, but knowing the origin of our wines and building relationships with the growers to understand and minimise our impact in every step of the winemaking is, for us, even more crucial.”

Ultimately, the journey all starts from “meticulous site selection in unique parts of Languedoc and Provence,” says Nardo. “The team always attach great importance to tasting, comparing and finally selecting the best plots for every new vintage.”

It seems their dedication is paying off, with Bijou racking up 90+ points from wine critics around the world.

For further enquiries please contact Pauline Nardo at pauline@bijouwine.com