From Mâconnais cooperative spirit to a winery of substance
The roots of Vignerons des Terres Secrètes reach back to the beginning of the 20th century, when the first winegrowers' cooperatives in the Mâconnais were formed in southern Burgundy. The members took the decisive step toward their current structure in 1997: the three neighboring cooperatives from Prissé, Sologny, and Verzé joined forces to bundle their vineyards, their craft, and their marketing. What was around 1.3 million bottles a year back then is now one of the most significant cooperatives in southern Burgundy. The cave in Prissé has been the heart of the operation ever since – this is where vinification and bottling of the premium sites take place, while red wines and Crémants are produced in Sologny and Verzé focuses on white wine production.
Today, around 120 members jointly cultivate nearly 906 hectares of AOC vineyard area – a scale that, despite the cooperative structure, is consistently managed with a focus on individual plots. 58 parcel selections and single vineyards originate from this association, including the Mâcon-Villages, Saint-Véran, Pouilly-Fuissé, Bourgogne, and Mâcon Rouge appellations.
Sustainability as a fundamental requirement, terroir as a guide
The Terres Secrètes approach can be summarized in one sentence: no must, only whole grapes. All members deliver exclusively hand-picked or carefully machine-harvested grapes to the cave – never pre-pressed material. Vinification takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks as well as a stock of around 1,000 oak barrels in sizes of 228 and 600 liters. The wood is deliberately used for rounding off, not for imparting flavors: Bâtonnage and gentle aging are at the forefront, and the wine's character remains determined by the terroir.
The commitment to sustainability is certified and measurable: since 2013, the Vignerons des Terres Secrètes have carried the „Vignerons Engagés
