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More than half of the wine produced in France is the product of a wine co-operative or ‘cave coopératives’, and yet many wine lovers ignore this important part of the industry while taking a wine tour around the country. But to ignore this vital section of French wine production is to miss out on some excellent local wines, created by a coming together of viticulturists from across the various wine regions. What is a Wine Co-operative? A wine co-operative is made up of a group of vineyard owners who pool their grapes and resources to make and market their wine and then share their profits. In France these co-operatives are often based around local regions. So, in a wine-growing region, many villages will have their own co-operative responsible for making and selling local wine. With around 700 co-operatives in France, take a wine tour around the winemaking regions and you’ll discover that more than half of the vineyards are owned by co-operatives rather than private individuals or estates. Much of the cave coopérative wine you will find in the shops or buy direct from the caves will be Vin de pays but there is also a notable range of Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC). The History of Wine Co-operatives While there have been wine co-operatives in France since the end of the nineteenth century, the real boom in caves came in the 1930s and 1940s. The reason for this was the economic hardship which followed the Depression and the Second World War; farmers were forced to pool their products to make money from their land. Throughout the twentieth century, the co-ops were supported by EU subsidies. Unfortunately this did nothing to improve the quality of the wine produced by these groups as they were paid for quantity rather than quality. But in recent years, reductions in EU subsidies and a market which increasingly demands higher quality has meant that the co-operatives that have survived are now producing some of France’s most popular wines. Make a Co-operative Part of Your Wine Tour The co-operatives that are thriving today are the small town and village producers which exist in almost every part of the wine-growing regions of France, making up an important part of the local community. On a wine tour such as our wine appreciation cruise along the Canal du Midi, you should make time to stop off and visit some of the excellent co-op producers and meet some of the local people who contribute to this vital wine-making community. Guests on our Anjodi barge get the opportunity to visit the acclaimed Cave Coopératives Les Costieres de Pomerols close to Séte on the Mediterranean coast. The co-operative is part of the AOC Picpoul de Pinet and our guests often tell us how perfectly the wine compliments the flavour of the local oysters and other local seafood. Visiting these acclaimed co-operatives isn’t just about getting an interesting insight into wine production in France: it is a glimpse into the heart of the country itself. These producers have come together to produce a quality product they could not hope to achieve alone, and we could all learn a little something from that. Author Plate Paul Newman is the Marketing and E-Systems Executive for European Waterways, the UK's most respected provider if you're looking for an all-inclusive, luxury wine tour barge holiday in France or other great destinations. Part of a team of experienced barging aficionados, Paul is first in line to endorse the perks of a slow-paced barge cruise to anyone looking for a unique holiday experience.
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