Stock up on flavors at the Cooperative Cellar

Published 25 / 10 / 2021 Reading time: 3 min

Rosé has never ceased to enhance your aperitifs, white wine has made its place alongside this summer star, and red wind has asserted itself as the great favorite of your barbecues... a visit to the cellar Gruissan cooperative is a must!

A terroir of a thousand colors

Starting from Gruissan, most of the walks lead you to the heart of the Aude vineyard. At the end of summer, the air carries the scent of freshly cut grapes: the harvest has begun. The village then sees a ballet taking place in the early morning. The pickers gather in front of the cellar before heading towards the land which must be shed of its fruits. Throughout the day, the grape pickers are busy in the rectilinear rows of vines. Their silhouettes leaning over the vines punctuate the landscape. They straighten up at regular intervals to pour the precious berries on the backs of the carriers.

Tasting with Mediterranean accents

The harvest season marks the end of the holidays. If the sky is still clear, the temperatures are getting cooler. This is the perfect time to explore the terroir of Gruissan. The cooperative cellar is an essential place to learn about it. To discover the local "Apellations d'Origine Contrôlée" (CDOs), you will discover here, in addition to the famous liqueur wines such as Muscat or Cartagena, red, white and rosé wines, the flagships of the appellations "La Clape" and "Corbières". La Cave de Gruissan is renowned for its top-of-the-range cuvées such as Alta Vinha and Grussius. For lovers of carbonic maceration, the Grussius cuvée embodies the philosophy of the cooperative cellar: it is the result of a blend of Mourvèdre and Grenache with a hint of Syrah harvested by hand.

Products Made In Pays Cathare

Since the wine jargon can be scary, you push the door of the Cellar where its members like to share their passion. Around a tasting, they are delighted to be able to enlighten visitors like you, curious about local traditions. They also have invaluable culinary tips under their belt for chefs who want to wow their friends with a mind-blowing food / wine pairing at a future dinner party. The less adventurous can always concoct a basket filled with good local products, the Cellar is full of them: crunchy almonds, olives, vinegars… made in Cathar Country!

Sun-drenched grape varieties

Each year, the 300 hectares managed directly by the cooperative cellar make it possible to produce around 10 hectoliters of wine. Here, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre are sublimated by the sun. As for the whites, Vermentino, Bourboulenc and Muscat offer beautiful cuvées whose balance oscillates between roundness and tension for the greatest pleasure of your palate.

The terroir, under Mediterranean influence, offers ideal conditions for the vines: they benefit from one of the best levels of sunshine in France. The clay-limestone soils are rich in nutrients and heatwave episodes are counterbalanced by sea spray. They give the grapes a little freshness, even in the middle of summer!

The Cave de Gruissan in video

Responsible Cuvées

You should know that the cooperative cellar of Gruissan is part of a process of respect for the environment. A first organic cuvée was launched in 2020. Reasonable yields are favored with an average of 40 hecto / hectare in order not to exhaust the soil.