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Presentation |
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The Birth of a Cooperative.
The post-war period was a difficult time for the wine market
and it found itself in a major crises. These difficulties contributed
to the idea of grouping into a cooperative. The wine producers
lacked storage place for their wine as well as their machines.
Not everyone was properly equipped and some were forced to do
their pressing on their neighbours' premises.
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The
vines grown at the time were mainly Carignan, Aramon on slopes
that yielded very few grapes, and a few Alicante and Morastel.
The idea to create a cooperative had started to develop in the
minds of certain people such as Mr Decombes and Mr Calmels.
Their goal was primarily to provide a large wine storage capacity
and communal and high-performance machinery, thereby maintaining
an activity in the villages; this structure would allow small
wine producers to progress and continue to lead a decent life
in the country.
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At the beginning, the cooperative premises were going to be
between Jonquières and Saint-Saturnin, but then a better and
more convenient venue was located at the entrance to Saint-Saturnin
on the Arboras road, and this is where it was set up. Mr Bouguette
from Jonquières who was a great supporter of the cooperative
christened it "the cathedral".
Very quickly the main motivation of this association became
the communal sale of the produce.
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The
Cave des Vins de Saint-Saturnin was one of the first to opt
for this mode of marketing that was motivated by the French
state. The importance of the work of these men should be underlined
as they built up a considerable union around their ideas. The
efforts in constructing and enlarging the vats met with many
battles in which Mr Calmel managed to preserve the members'
revenues, at the same time investing for the future.
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From the very first harvest and for about twenty years onwards,
with Mr Albert Trinquier at the weighbridge and Abbot Do at
the refract meter, they officiated over the arrivals and recorded
it all.
These great moments have inspired many anecdotes; tales of wooden
grape-buckets and horses…
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A
few figures concerning the Wines of Saint-Saturnin.
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Its
creation : 29th December 1950
Founder chairman : Mr A. Bezombes 1950 - 1951 (deceased
in 1952)
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Mr
Maurice Galibert
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Chairmen
:
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Mr
Noël Calmel
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1951
- 1971
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Mr
Maurice Galibert
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1971
- 1995
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Mr
Gilbert Garrofé
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1995
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Directors
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Mr
René Jeanjean
1951 - 1981
Mr
Jean-Louis Fenateu
1981 - 1998
Mr
Christophe Bernès
1998
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From
left to right:
M. Garrofé, M. Raymond, M. Fenateu, M. Bernès. |
| 1951 |
67
members pour |
9
788 hls
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1954 |
10
000 bottles
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| 1996 |
193
members pour |
49
908 hls
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1995 |
2
800 000 bottles
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| 2000 |
184
members pour |
45
000 hls
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2000 |
3
000 000 bottles
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Sales
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1/3
in the region
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1/6
in the neighbouring regions
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1/6
in the rest of France
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1/3
for export (Belgium, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland…)
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