Cave de L'Ormarine

Meet the Producer

Cave de l'Ormarine is an award-winning co-operative which produces wines from the tiny Pinet de Picpoul appellation in the Hérault. The Ormarine cellar was established in 1922 when vignerons from Pinet joined forces and formed a winegrowers' association. Today, the Cave de l'Ormarine is a conglomeration of five separate co-operatives from across the Hérault, each with their own specific terroirs and styles of wine. It is proud to have 470 members farming more than 2,500 hectares of vines.

Its flagship Picpoul wines are fresh and terroir-driven, and hugely influenced by both the Mediterranean Sea and the Etang de Thau, which act as a thermal regulator for the vineyards. In fact, it is said of Picpoul that, "Son terroir, c'est la mer (Its terroir is the sea)."

Cave de l'Ormarine has made significant investment in its winery, and prides itself on the high quality standard and traceability of its grapes.

A Note on Sustainability

Cave de L’Ormarine attaches great importance to the protection of its environment and its vineyards. From 2013, its members set up a pheromone-based mating-disruption programme to naturally eliminate insect pests from the vines without chemical treatments. As a co-operative, it has decided to move its vineyards towards organic farming. Some of its members have been doing this since 2011, already allowing it to offer a range of wines sourced from certified organic grapes.

Cave de l’Ormarine obtained Terra Vitis certification in 2018, highlighting its involvement in sustainable and integrated viticulture and its respect for nature, humans and wine. Furthermore, since December 2016, it has been certified as IFS FOOD Version 6.1 (International Featured Standards), an internationally standardised framework for food quality and safety management.