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SOUTH WEST
– WINE ROUTE –
One of South-West France’s juggernauts, the co-operative winery and
chateau group Vinovalie accounts for 25% of AOC Cahors,
57% of Fronton and 36% of Gaillac
represents 4 co-operative wineries, around fifteen estates
and châteaux and 400 winegrowers united under the
same banner since 2006. A leading producer of AOC
Fronton and Cahors and the powerhouse of AOC Gaillac,
Vinovalie has scored many points. Admittedly, it took no
chances: with the support of a panel of experts, it focused
on its Tarani range to ensure broad consumer appeal and
therefore tap into a variety of export markets. Its game
plan? To produce wines that are fruity, aromatic and easy
to drink made from international grape varieties. “This
is a critical cue in foreign markets”, notes Sandra Ferral,
Vinovalie’s export director. “In France, appellations and
provenance hold pride of place, but in export markets
the varietal is key. In Australia, for example, the wines
are classified according to the varieties used”. The group
has a presence in the United Kingdom, Japan and the
Netherlands in particular, but it aims to conquer the
United States and Russia in years to come.
Although the Tarani label has become Vinovalie’s calling
card, the group has not forgotten the driver of its
collective strength: its diversity. Its four co-operative
wineries produce niche wines that showcase local grape
varieties, such as Malbec and Negrette. The 4,000 hectare,
HVE-certified vineyard controlled by the group has 10%
of its area farmed organically. The chateaux and estates
“are run as independent properties”, stresses Ferral. Some,
like Château de Tauziès in Gaillac, provide exposure for
the expertise of Vinovalie’s winegrowers by offering
hotel experiences surrounded by vineyards. Chateaux
Les Bouysses, in Cahors and Marguerite, in Fronton, will
likely go down the same route in a few years’ time.
Nathalie Larroque welcomes visitors to the winery at Mas des Combes,
where she also holds aperitif-cum-concerts,
weather and the health situation permitting
STAGE 3: GAILLAC
WELCOME TO MAS DES COMBES
At Mas des Combes, wine is a family affair. Rémi Larroque
embodies the fifteenth generation of winegrowers at the
helm of the estate he inherited from his parents. With
help from his wife Nathalie, he farms 34 hectares of
14 SPRING 2021 GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE