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CELLIER DES TEMPLIERS
GIBC (Groupement Interproducteurs du Collioure Banyuls) was created in 1950 when 8 cooperatives joined together. The new union of producers developed a structure and an organisation enabling it to valorise its wines fully. The growers then built up the means for marketing their wines directly, by creating subsidiaries suited to their different types of customer. In 1980, they set up a network of sales reps – the sales force of Cellier des Templiers was born.
By 2003, there were 150 sales reps travelling through France, Belgium, Luxemburg and Holland. Their aim is to build and maintain a close relationship with all the customers of Cellier des Templiers by visiting them at least once a year.
Thanks to their ready for ear for their customers’ needs, the 750 winegrowers who make up Cellier des Templiers make wines that correspond to contemporary tastes. They are continuously looking to create new blends and discover new vinification methods to offer the best their vines are able to give. Their priority is to make wines to please the people who drink them.
Today, Cellier des Templiers offers a broad range of fine wines: 19 Banyuls and Banyuls Grand Cru, 15 Collioure wines and one fine Banyuls Vinegar. Whether you’re a wine professional or simply a wine enthusiast, you’re sure to find something to suit your taste.
HISTORY
FROM ANTIQUITY TO THE 19TH CENTURY
A winegrowing region from ancient times
It is difficult to put a precise date on the beginnings of winegrowing in Roussillon.
Historians attribute it to Greek settlers who invaded the region in the 6th century BC to exploit the minerals found in abundance on Mount Canigou.
Winegrowing developed under the relatively peaceful periods of the Roman occupation and Visigoth rule. However, the vineyards were largely destroyed during the Saracen invasions between 714 and 828.
During the Middle Ages, Roussillon enjoyed a period of prosperity during which the Knights Templar played an important role in the restructuring of agriculture. Thanks to their work and their flair for organisation, winegrowing gained a new lease of life.
The 13th century marked a crucial period in the history of vins doux naturels, or fortified wines. Arnau de Villanova, a doctor of medicine at the University of Montpellier, discovered the principle of mutage – adding spirits to stabilise sweet wines. This technique made it possible to keep some of the sweetness contained in the grapes.
UP TO 1950
A structure for the region’s winegrowing sector
The wine region as we know it today developed during the 19th and 20th centuries, with the Arago and Pams Laws which created the notion of terroir and appellations of origin. The geographical limits of the Banyuls winegrowing area were officially defined in 1905, at the same time as those of Champagne, Bordeaux and Cognac.
In 1921, the emergence of the cooperative movement enabled the winegrowers to join forces and develop a policy of quality for the vinification and aging of their wines.
In 1936, the wines of Banyuls were certified by the newly created Institut National des Appellations d’Origine Contrôlée (INAO), making Banyuls a controlled origin appellation.
The market for Banyuls was shared between individual cooperatives and private wine estates. Faced with difficult conditions after the Second World War, and eager to defend the interests of AC Banyuls, the cooperative movement restructured, with cooperatives grouping together.
GICB was created in 1950 and was made up of 8 cooperatives. This action changed the face of the market, and the new union of cooperatives became a major player, initiating the shift from bulk wine to bottles.
FROM 1950 TO THE PRESENT DAY
Banyuls Grand Cru received AC certification in 1962.
Collioure Rouge became an AC wine in 1971.
In 1991, it was the turn of the Collioure Rosé to obtain AC certification.
Last but not least, Collioure Blanc obtained AC certification in 2003.
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