With Bijou you have set out to create a French wine brand that looks to make French wines less daunting - how are you doing that?
The traditional AOP framework, while historically important, can feel restrictive for producers seeking to innovate and respond to evolving global tastes. Today’s consumers increasingly navigate wine by varietal, occasion and style rather than appellation alone, so Bijou has been built to make premium French wine feel more intuitive, contemporary and rewarding to discover - particularly for a new generation of drinkers who may be less familiar with complex classifications.
Bijou has strategically delivered a stripped back, minimalist style design to draw consumers in and make its messaging as accessible as possible
Everything we do is driven by four principles: uncompromising quality, sustainability, innovation and differentiation. We stripped our labels back, removing any chateaux or unnecessary wording, and focused marketing heavily on varietal typicity while retaining our elegant French identity.
This minimalist design is a deliberate tool of differentiation, signalling premium quality whilst making Bijou instantly approachable on the shelf and wine lists.
Our mission at Bijou has always been simple: to strip away the pretence and make Southern French wine both approachable and exciting for the next generation of wine drinkers, without compromising on quality. With a young and ambitious team, we are always looking for ways to accelerate innovation and increase visibility to tap into new consumers beyond the typical wine drinker.
You have also looked to make wines from south French wine regions that are not as well known - why is that?
Alongside a sense of creative freedom, working outside the strict appellation framework allows for a more modern approach that reflects how people buy and enjoy wine today. Rather than being restricted by geography or rigid production rules, we can focus on finding the very best sites for each variety and making wines that genuinely express the character of Southern France.
Our biggest strength is the long-term relationships we've built with exceptional independent growers across the Languedoc and Provence. Because we aren't tied to a single estate, we can source each variety from the site where it performs best.
Bijou does not own any vineyards but instead looks to source grapes from regions of southern France that can make the quality of wine it is looking for - like here in the region of Haute Vallée de l'Aude
Premium Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, for example, come from the cooler, limestone-rich vineyards of the Haute Vallée de l'Aude, where altitude and cooler temperature preserve freshness and elegance. For our established rosés, we look to the coastal vineyards of Coteaux de Béziers, where early morning harvesting and constant
Mediterranean breezes help retain crisp acidity and give the wines their distinctive freshness and subtle saline character.
Those regions don't always have the international recognition of some of France's more famous appellations, but that's exactly what makes them so exciting. They offer an incredible diversity of soils, altitudes and microclimates, along with growers who are passionate about quality and open to innovation.
The coastal winds naturally reduce disease pressure in the vineyard, allowing fewer spray interventions, while cooler, higher-altitude sites help us maintain freshness and balance as the climate changes.
Ultimately, we are passionate about moving French wine into the 21st century whilst celebrating the distinct regions – crafting high quality wines that are elegant, innovative and desirable for today’s drinkers.
How is that expressed in the wines you are making?
Our biggest strength is the fact we don’t own vineyards. Unlike traditional French winemaking, we have the ability to source grapes from the best growers in the region and prioritise quality above all else. Because we aren’t tied down to one estate or a single crop yield, we can build a network of the absolute best independent growers across the south of France who share our dedication to excellence.
This flexible sourcing lets us perfectly match a grape variety to the exact microclimate it needs to thrive, delivering consistency of quality across all of our wines.
Bijou sources grapes from the coastal region of Côteaux de Béziers to give the salinity and freshness in the wines it is looking for
In Côteaux de Béziers, for instance, we harvest early in the morning to preserve the natural crispness and subtle marine salinity that defines our coastal rosés and whites. In contrast, when we look to the Haute Vallée de l’Aude, nestled 450 to 500 meters up in the Pyrenean foothills, the dramatic shift between hot days and cool nights allows Burgundian varieties like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to ripen slowly, retaining a nervous, bright acidity.
We let the specific terroir dictate the wine, ensuring absolute precision and site expression in every bottle.
Who is your target audience and how are you going about targeting and promoting the wines to them?
For the past couple of decades in the UK, wines from the New World have seen great success. The double barrel names, the fun, slightly quirky labels have all been extremely popular. We sense the consumer is looking for authenticity in their wines.
There is a return to France, in particularly to brands that are visually appealing and out deliver on taste without being wrapped in over-complicated wine terminology. To do that effectively, we take them on a very deliberate journey, with different rangesm structured by a clear quality and price hierarchy to suit different consumers.
The different ranges are:
• Le Bijou de Sophie Valrose & Terre de Providence: These are our standard- bearers. Built around varietal typicity, these wines are unoaked and what we consider the best expression of each grape.
• Éminence de Bijou: This range is created with the engaged wine enthusiast in mind, offering more layered, gastronomic styles like our barrel-fermented rosé for depth and structure. Designed to pair beautifully with food and sit confidently on serious wine lists.
• Vestige de Bijou and Lumea de Bijou: These are our premium ranges and clearest statement on-site potential. Produced in micro-cuvées for wine aficionados and fine dining occasions to show what southern French terroir can achieve at the absolute highest level.
By layering our ranges this way, we make it easy for consumers to build trust with the brand and naturally trade up as they explore further.
You also have a premium distribution strategy - can you explain what sort of venues and channels of the market you are targeting?
Our distribution strategy is highly intentional, with each range playing a distinct role within the broader Bijou portfolio. Our flagship Le Bijou de Sophie Valrose and Terre de Providence ranges are designed to introduce a wider audience to premium Southern French wine, which is why they are positioned in leading supermarkets, national pub groups and quality casual dining venues.
They offer consumers an approachable introduction to the Bijou, while still delivering the exceptional quality and southern French elegance that define our wines.
Bijou has targeted the on-trade with its premium wines and had great success with wines such as its Éminence range
As consumers become more engaged with the brand, our smaller-production Éminence, Vestige and Lumea ranges are focused on the premium on-trade, fine dining and independent wine merchants, where the emphasis shifts towards site-specific expressions, gastronomic relevance and a more elevated storytelling experience.
Whether someone first discovers Bijou in a supermarket, a neighbourhood gastropub or a Michelin-starred restaurant, we want every bottle to reflect the same commitment to quality, while giving our partners a range that feels perfectly aligned with their customers and the occasion.
Where is the wine now being sold around the world?
Bijou’s presence across premium on- and off-trade venues worldwide has gone from strength to strength and we are currently available in over 45 markets. The global reception shows that consumers are increasingly recognising the high-quality, characterful wines from the South of France.
To reach new consumers beyond the typical wine drinker, we’ve been highly focused on introducing our wines to new drinking occasions by expanding our visibility at live events and securing premium international listings:
Bijou has partnered with luxury and destination bars around the world like here at the Queens Rooftop Bar & Restaurant in Auckland in New Zealand
• Rooftops in New Zealand: On the other side of the world, we’ve landed in some spectacular venues across New Zealand, from the five-star luxury boutique hotel Fable Dunedin to Auckland’s vibrant new Queens Rooftop Bar & Restaurant.
• Beachside in Antigua: We’ve also partnered with the Rocks Group restaurants out in Antigua, bringing our Southern French rosé to premium spots right on the Caribbean coast.
• Global Hotspots: Beyond these, you can find our wines being poured everywhere from luxury beach clubs along the Mediterranean to five-star hotels in the UAE.
What is your distribution strategy in the UK and how is that working?
The UK has been a phenomenal success story for us. We initially launched through Waitrose over a decade ago, which was instrumental in establishing Bijou as a trusted, premium Southern French producer in the retail space. But our big leap into the on-trade came around 2020 when we secured a national distribution partner.
Since then, we’ve gone from strength to strength, expanding into more than 1,700 premium venues across the country.
The strategy works because it satisfies multiple market needs. For consumers who might traditionally look to sweet blush wines or mass-market options, Bijou offers an easy, sophisticated trade-up to bone-dry, elegant French styles. At the same time, our premium ranges like Éminence and Vestige give independent venues and specialist wine lists a distinct point of difference.
Despite the wider category facing tough declines, our strategy of balancing retail presence with live event activations is keeping our brand momentum exceptionally strong.
You also say you are outperforming the UK market - can you give us more details?
If you look at the broader landscape, UK rosé volumes across pubs, bars, and restaurants have actually declined by 11.9% over the past two years. However, over that exact same two-year period, Bijou Rosé sales grew by a massive 117% in the UK on-trade.
In a declining market, we are actively gaining market share, highlighting continued demand for premium, desirable wine brands when people are out of home.
Consumers are becoming more selective about where they spend their money, but they’re still looking for quality experiences and authentic brands they connect with. Our growth reflects a clear strategy to build a young and dynamic brand that makes French wines less daunting, while continuing to innovate across packaging, sustainability and new drinking occasions to reach new consumers beyond the typical wine drinker.
What is the overall range available in the UK and what sort of pricing strateg do you have for them?
Our pricing is very deliberately mapped to match the consumer journey we want to create, ensuring excellent margins for our trade partners while staying accessible to the drinker. In the UK, our retail pricing strategy moves smoothly across four tiers:
Bijou has clearly defined pricing strategy for each of its ranges
- Terre de Providence: Around £9.50 (an everyday, terroir-driven luxury).
- Sophie Valrose: Around £11.50 (our core, award-winning varietal benchmark).
- Éminence de Bijou: Around £16 (small-plot, complex gastronomic styles).
- Vestige de Bijou: Around £25 (our ultra-premium, world-class icon tier).
This gives consumers a highly competitive, beautifully packaged option for every occasion, whether that’s a casual by-the-glass pour or a premium bottle to pair with a fine meal.
Tell us about the Cremant de Limoux and why you wanted to make a Cremant from that region?
Limoux is the spiritual home of sparkling wine, so it was the natural place for us to enter the category. But more importantly, it reflects how we approach every wine at Bijou.
Rather than producing a sparkling wine simply because sales are booming, we wante to create something that genuinely added value to the portfolio and demonstrated what Southern France can achieve at the premium end. Limoux gave us the ideal combination of heritage, exceptional vineyard sites, and the freedom to craft a distinctive expression with real identity.
We selected hand-harvested hillside parcels in Villelongue-d'Aude, nestled in the Pyrenean foothills at 330 meters above sea level. Sitting around 3°C cooler than the Languedoc plains, these vineyards benefit from wide diurnal temperature shifts and a unique meeting of Oceanic and Mediterranean influences. This unique microclimate allows for slow, balanced ripening that preserves bright freshness and remarkable structural precision.
The blend is led by 60% Chardonnay, complemented by 30% Pinot Noir and 10% Chenin Blanc. Traditionally under-represented in Limoux, Pinot Noir adds structure and a subtle phenolic grip that enhances complexity and length rather than overt fruit character, while Chenin Blanc brings vibrant acidity.
The winemaking is focused entirely on precision. After a cool fermentation to lock in aromatic finesse, the wine undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle and is aged on its lees for 15 to 18 months - almost double the AOP minimum. This extended time is what delivers those exceptionally fine, persistent bubbles and a subtle brioche complexity.
Éminence de Bijou Crémant de Limoux is our statement that Southern France can produce world-class traditional method sparkling wines. It reflects the same principles that underpin the wider Bijou portfolio - site-led sourcing, technical precision, and uncompromising quality - while giving the premium on-trade and independent retail a distinctive option with a true sense of place.
You are also doing a lot to try and support and promote women in wine - what are you doing and why?
Bijou runs a number of initiatives to support women in wine and overall business community
Social sustainability is a huge part of our broader sustainability ethos. Our flagship Le Bijou de Sophie Valrose range pays tribute to the women who fought for equality in the vineyards of southern France, inspired by the legend of a 19th-century Languedoc vineyard worker who stood up against the gruelling exploitation and massive wage gaps that women faced in the fields.
We chose the name Sophie Valrose to give global resonance to her story and honour that entire pioneering generation of women whose determination helped shape the modern wine industry for the better.
Today, that commitment extends beyond our wines. Bijou supports initiatives that create opportunities and raise the profile of women across the industry, from sponsoring delegates to attend the Women in Wine Expo to collaborating with Elizabeth Gabay MW on projects celebrating innovation and sustainability in the rosé category.
Beyond the wine world, Bijou is proud to champion female achievement through partnerships and mentorship opportunities. In 2025, we funded five independent women to attend the Women in Wine Expo in Porto to expand their professional networks.
We were also the exclusive wine sponsor for the prestigious Women of the Year Lunch & Awards in London, celebrating 70 years of extraordinary women driving global change - a partnership we are proud to continue for a second consecutive year in October 2026.
Anything else to say?
"Across every global market, we are seeing the same pattern: consumers still want quality and authenticity, but they also look for modern producers that invest in sustainability and story-driven branding."
The UK on-trade is undoubtedly navigating a challenging period, from rising duty and broader operating costs to shifting consumer habits. More than ever, operators need wines that not only look great on a list, but have a clear purpose to genuinely excite people and create a sense of discovery, encouraging consumers to trade up and bring them back for a second glass.
That has always been our approach at Bijou. We believe French wine does not have to feel intimidating. By sourcing from exceptional vineyard sites across Southern France, working with outstanding independent growers and presenting our wines in a way that feels intuitive to today’s consumer, we are making some of France’s most exciting terroirs easier to discover and enjoy.
It is a philosophy that is resonating well beyond the UK. Today, Bijou is an established international brand enjoyed in more than 45 countries, poured everywhere from leading retailers and national pub groups to boutique hotels, rooftop bars, and fine dining restaurants.
Across every global market, we are seeing the same pattern: consumers still want quality and authenticity, but they also look for modern producers that invest in sustainability and story-driven branding.
Ultimately, our ambition is to keep raising the profile of Southern French wine on the world stage. We want to show that these regions can be every bit as premium and desirable as France’s more established regions, while giving the trade a brand that drives value, supports premiumisation, and gives consumers a compelling reason to choose something different.
* You can find out more about Bijou here.
* Bijou was created and is owned by Crush Wines.
