Celebrated for champagne, claret and cognac, the French are not known for their savoir-faire in producing whisky, but that could be about to change.

The French are seeking to exploit their wine-making expertise to produce whiskies with a distinctively Gallic range of aromas.

Their affinity for the amber spirit is undeniable. The French knock back more whisky per head than any other nation. The average consumption by an adult in France is 2.15 litres per year, according to the Euromonitor research agency. Uruguay is second, the US third, and the UK trails in seventh place with 1.25 litres.

Whiskies are often matured in oak casks that have already been used for sherry or bourbon as a way of enriching the flavour, but French producers are starting to age whiskies in old wine barrels to enhance the bouquet.

Philippe Jugé, president of the French Federation of Whisky Producers, told The Telegraph: “We’re introducing wine barrels gradually. You can’t go too fast when you’re introducing consumers to new flavours.

"Whisky matured in red wine barrels doesn’t taste good, so you’ve got to use white wine barrels, generally sweet wines like Sauternes or straw wines [made from grapes dried to concentrate their juice].”