Cave de L'Ormarine

The Pinet Cooperative Winery, located in Languedoc, began its modern history with a consensus rooted in a spirit of solidarity. On May 30 and June 15, 1922, two letters from the Ministry of Agriculture officially established the Association of Traditional Producers of Pinet White Wine and the Cooperative Winery. In 1992, on the occasion of its 70th anniversary, the cooperative officially launched the Cave de L’Ormarine brand, followed by the creation of the corporation Cave de L’Ormarine, which would later obtain the Picpoul de Pinet AOC designation. Today, it encompasses the wineries of Cournonterral, Pinet, and Villeveyrac.

The winemakers of Pinet were the pioneers in the production and marketing of Picpoul de Pinet. This wine is made from a noble grape variety first called Piquant-Paul, then Picapulla, and later Piquepouille; it is now known as Piquepoul. The Cave de l’Ormarine now has nearly 400 member growers covering an area of 2,100 hectares, a large portion of which is designated as AOC white wine produced from a single grape variety, “Piquepoul.” The terroir consists mainly of clay-limestone plateaus, rich in Cretaceous limestone and laden with quartz gravel. To the north, these plateaus are flanked by limestone hills dating back to the Jurassic period. The Mediterranean-type climate is characterized by lower rainfall and higher temperatures than the national average, which play a significant role in the health of the grape harvest.