If you want to taste some fantastic Languedoc wine and get a great story to go along with them, then let me introduce you to Simon Coulshaw. The man is undoubtedly crazy - possibly crazy full-stop - but certainly crazy about his wine. Originally brought up in Paris, Simon followed his passion for wine by giving up his well paid job in IT and enrolling in a college to study wine making and viticulture. There then followed an incredible 4 year period where Simon and his Catalan wife, Monica, visited over 100 different vineyards in the Rhône valley, Spain and the Languedoc.

Taking a picnic under the warm summer sun in South France, is the perfect way to enjoy all that fabulous French cheese, bread, paté, charcuterie - and of course the French wine. If you are planning your family holidays in South of France this summer, here is a list of 10 great places to enjoy a picnic in the French countryside.

The Vinipolis restaurant and wine centre is a welcome addition to the Languedoc wine industry. The enterprising wine cooperative of Florensac opened the Vinipolis complex in 2008. Set in a shiny glass building, Vinipolis provides informative tours and wine tastings, together with an excellent brasserie next door.

Noilly Prat is one of the claim to fames of Marseillan, a nice little coastal town in Languedoc. For the last 200 years it has been the home of the Noilly Prat distillerie that produces this famous French vermouth drink. Noilly Prat is most famously used as the base for Dry Martini. The Noilly Pratt factory is located on the edge of the harbour in Marseillan in South France, close to Cap d'Adge. The original Noilly Prat dry vermouth was invented back in 1813. It is a straw coloured drink that uses around 20 different local herbs and ingredients.

I would like to share with you a great local tip about an exceptional vineyard in the South of France where you can enjoy a wine tasting with some local food. We love our wine at Go Languedoc, so during our hectic schedule this summer we managed to squeeze in a wine tasting at Domaine Du Meteore, which is located up in the Languedoc hills, just above Beziers, in the small village of Cabrerolles.

If you love excellent food and wine, then there can be no finer restaurant in the South of France as Auberge du Vieux Puits. This Michelin star restaurant is run by the celebrated French chef, Gilles Goujon; and it has just received its 3rd Michelin star award. I can not recommend this restaurant highly enough. The food, the service, the wine, the cheese . . . all were excellent.

If you are looking for a good place to eat in Languedoc, then follow the Go Languedoc guide to the best bistros and restaurants in Languedoc. As we are based in the Languedoc and we enjoy our 'tucker', we thought that we would pass on some of our tips of the best Languedoc restaurants we have eaten in.

At the foot of the Montagne-Noire (Black Mountains) and covering the picturesque Orb valley, the Saint-Chinian wine appellation was formed in 1982 to group together the wine production from twenty villages, centering around the town of St Chinian. With its strong focus on high quality wine production, St Chinian wines have won a well-deserved reputation for fruity, full-bodied Languedoc wines.

If you're coming to Languedoc and you like good wine, then you are in for a real treat. Some of the best wines in France are grown in Languedoc. Here is our tried and tested selection of the best Languedoc wines.

From my perspective, there are two standout restaurants in the South of France: the Mirazur in Menton and the Auberge de Vieux Puits in the Corbieres. These two restaurants stand as bookends - both physically and figuratively - to the other restaurants in South France.

Walk into any bar in the South of France and the chances are that you will see two old boys up at the bar drinking a strange yellow coloured drink. That strange yellow coloured drink is Pastis and it is revered in the South of France like Whisky is in Scotland. If you happen to be an 'apero' by friends, then the chances are that Pastis wll be the aperitif of choice.

If you are looking to get the lowdown on traditional foods to buy in France, then this popular French food tour in Montpellier is a great idea. Guided by a local food expert, Marine Dromard, you will discover some amazing French gastronomy. The food tour takes in the the beautiful historic centre of Montpellier, where you can stroll past food shops and browse the food markets, finding many hidden gems along the way.

No less than 10 Languedoc wines feature in the Sunday Times list of the top wines to buy. The respected Sunday Times wine critic, Janice Robinson, has picked out 10 Languedoc wines in her wine buyers guide for 2010. Beating off stiff competition from Australia, Spain, Chile, South Africa and Bordeaux, the Languedoc wines topped the poll.

The Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines need no introduction to wine buffs everywhere. Although technically not quite in Languedoc wine region, Chateauneuf-du-Pape is such an amazing wine and so close-by that it is worth a detour up to Avignon to seek it out. Situated 20km from Avignon, this appellation of wines is famous the world over.

Fitou. I wouldn't want to live there (too remote for my liking), but what great wines. I always think that the Fitou wines remind me of drinking Rioja. The flavours of these deep reds hit you after 30 seconds.

Considering the Faugeres wine appellation was only created in 1982, it has gained an excellent reputation for producing consistently good wines. The secret to the Faugeres wines lies in the steep hills surrounding the sleepy village of Faugeres, high up above Beziers. In my opinion the Faugeres wines are some of the best quality wines of Languedoc.

The Minervois wine region located in a triangle between Narbonne, Carcassonne and Beziers has been consistently turning out outstanding Languedoc wines for the last two decades. The Minervois wines are now firmly established as some of the premier wines in Languedoc. The Domus Maximus wine, from the Minervois wine region was voted the 'best wine in the world' by Wine critics in 2009.

Picpoul-de-Pinet is the one French white wine you absolutely must drink in Languedoc. The production of the world famous Picpoul de Pinet white wine is centered around a few small villages close to the Bassin de Thau, that produces much of France's high class oysters and mussels. Quite simply, Picpoul de Pinet is an outstanding French white wine at a refreshing price.

There was a time when the wines of Languedoc in Southern France were looked down upon, even by the French themselves. But now the French regard the wines from the Languedoc region as amongst the very best wines in France. Here is our all year round report on the Vineyards of Languedoc