Shelter from economic upheavals
A wine co-operative produces and sells wine made from the grapes grown by its members. It collectively undertakes winemaking, storage, sales and often the bottling process.
The Médoc’s cooperative cellars were created in the early 1930s at the height of the global economic crisis. The mutualisation of these small and medium sized properties allowed many winemakers to survive financial difficulties while continuing to produce quality wines. Most Cooperatives — which are important as both agricultural and social centres — have existed for over 90 years and are still very active. This system of cooperatives has enabled many growers in the Médoc to maintain vines in excellent terroirs rather than uprooting them due to reversals of fortune. These organisations have joined together in commercial structures to sell these wines to export markets.
A dynamic rural fabric
The cooperatives are perfectly well integrated into the terroir, a guarantee of their quality. Grouping together small vine-growing properties, the Médoc cooperatives have contributed to the reputation of the region.
Just as a “château” has different parcels of vines, so does a co-operative, often belonging to several proprietors, situated amongst some of the most famous estates.
In the Médoc, around 400 growers belong to six cooperatives, representing almost half of the region’s viticultural population (estimated at 1,000 grape growers).
These co-operators cultivate 1,700 hectares of vines of which 1,200 are in the Médoc appellation, the most northerly of the peninsula’s eight appellations.
The wines are produced and blended after the selection of the harvest and represent 11% of the Médoc’s total production.
A strong commercial power
In the marketplace, these wines may appear under the name of a château, where the winemaking has been carried out separately to produce wine for a co-operative member, or as a commercial brand name. In which case the brand name can belong to the co-operative, the group or a merchant.
Bordeaux merchants play and important role in marketing Médoc wines, in recent years they have multiplied their own commercial brands. These brand names represent a blend from the Médoc’s different terroirs, within the cooperative cellars merchants can ensure a consistency and a quality of wine satisfy the demand of their clients.