Jean-Claude Mas - helping fly the flag for wine from the South of France

That kind of humour on a wine label gave just enough sense of style and fun to a range of wines that romped onto supermarket shelves and leapt off them again onto consumer’s tables. Easy drinking, and affordably priced, no one was really bothered about who the Arrogant Frog might be, but if you looked carefully at the label, the name Paul Mas was there.

It was shortly after the label was launched almost 20 years ago that I first met Jean-Claude Mas at his estate in the South of France. At the time he said: “Most English people find the label amusing and, as for the French, I think they appreciate the joke too.” With a stylish but definitely worse-for-wear frog on the label, the wine was designed from grape to glass to suit the English market.

When I think back to that period, it was clear that wine from the South of France, now generally referred to as Occitanie, had a poor reputation. Muddled appellations, mixed quality and for many farmers the threat of having to pull out some of their vines because of overproduction meant that there was no real beacon of quality in the region.

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In 20 years all that has changed and Jean-Claude Mas has had a major role in turning round the fortunes of the region.

Born in 1964, the son of a grape grower from Pézenas, which lies halfway between Montpellier and Narbonne, Jean-Claude did not immediately go into the wine business, but stints abroad opened his eyes to the international nature of wine. By 2000, he was ready to go back home and he launched his new company, naming it after his father, Paul Mas.

As is usual in that part of the world, a family vineyard had come his way, and so he used this as a base for the new business.

But the real skill of Jean-Claude was not just in making the best use of the land he owned. He made contacts across the region. He recognised that Occitanie has a great many microclimates, soils and growing conditions to produce a wide range of wines in sufficient quantity to supply overseas markets. With an approach to marketing that looked beyond just a local appellation, he created wines and sold them in particular to UK supermarkets. Look at the name on many own-label supermarket southern French wines and you will see Paul Mas. Value and quality have been the key parameters for these wines and from his small initial vineyard the business of Paul Mas has grown to the point where Jean-Claude is the largest purchaser of grapes across the region.

He has created more labels, expanded the range of grape varieties and wholeheartedly promoted the wines of the Languedoc to the world.

But he has done so much more than just set up a big wine factory making good value wines. Key to the Jean-Claude Mas approach has been the acquisition of estates across the region, each one with a winery. Now with 15 estates, spread across the region, and around 800 hectares of vines, he makes use of altitude, soils and planting densities to bring out the best of each parcel of land. Each estate produces a range of flagship wines that show the personality of the land. Sustainability is very important and many estates are cultivated organically. From Chateau Martinolles in the cool hills of Limoux, where Chardonnay, Mauzac and are made into traditional bottle-fermented sparkling wines, to Domaine Ferrandière planted on old saltwater marshes close to Carcassonne, each estate produces its own wine, in its own cellars.

I toured the latest acquisition, Clos Astéllia, a small 12-hectare estate in Montagnac, where Jean Claude has not only built the most shiny, well-equipped jewel of a winery, but has also his house. Perched at the top of a gentle slope, his windows look out over the vines which are not just organic but biodynamic too.

Close by, the main home of the company receives visitors and is well worth a detour if you are in the area. Just 35km from Montpelier and in the heart of a vast natural setting, Château Paul Mas in Montagnac is the best place to eat for miles around. The restaurant, Côté Mas, is a surprising place, initially looking like corporate headquarters, but upstairs and out on the balcony it is the most fabulous restaurant. It is open midweek to weekend, but check the website for bookings, www.cote-mas.fr. There are also two rooms available to stay in complete with a private swimming pool but I have heard that demand is high.

And despite being the power behind the marketing of the Paul Mas wines, Jean-Claude is very much a winemaker. He puts blends together, ensuring that each one of the extensive range is exactly right. From supermarket own blends to individual estate wines, the range encompasses a vast range of flavours, but they are always well made with fruit, balance and structure in harmony.

As for the Arrogant Frog, that label is still popular in the US, but in the UK it seems to have developed into the Elegant Frog – which suits not just the wine, but Jean-Claude himself.

Here are some Paul Mas wines to try from your local supermarket:

The Elegant Frog Viognier, Sainsbury’s online, £8: Soft peach and apricot notes with hints of vanilla and a long, rounded finish.

Vinus by Paul Mas Clairette 2018, Languedoc-Roussillon, France, 12.5%, Morrisons, £8.25: A fresh tasting, floral-edged, apple and citrus style of wine. Good as an aperitif but goes well with grilled fish and salads.

Paul Mas Reserve Languedoc Rouge 2018, Waitrose, normally £9.39, down to £6.99 starting on Wednesday: Blackberry and cherry fruit, robust and edged with spice.

Les Neuf Pierres Roulées 2018, Terrasses du Larzac, Sainsbury’s, £13: An intense yet supple blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre, with peppery plum fruit.