"La Cave de Bissey", winegrower's cooperative

1928, The origins

WINEGROWERS’ COOPERATIVEE

On 5 January 1928, a group of winegrowers, spearheaded by Dr. Henri Ozanon, decided to establish the winegrowers’ cellar of Bissey-sous-Cruchaud, now known as Cave de Bissey. This was the first cooperative in the Côte Chalonnaise. Winemaking was in crisis and Dr Ozanon, following a trip to the south of France, decided to create a cooperative wine cellar to pool tools and the means of production...

A cooperative wine cellar is an extension of the vineyards it comprises. Cooperative members have one vote each. During general meetings they elect a board of directors, which itself, elects a chairperson to manage the wine cellar. Through the cooperative wine cellar, wine growers are able to pool their means - in our case, wine production and marketing. To learn more about the cooperative system, visit youtu.be

From producer to consumer

Today, men & women working side by side

40 WINE GROWERS, A PASSIONATE TEAM

The cooperative wine cellar is currently made up of roughly 35 members and it is the sole activity for about 10 of them. They are all located in Bissey-sous-Cruchaud or in communes close to the cellar and cultivate about a hundred hectares of land. This small size gives us both a diverse terroir, and detailed knowledge of it.

The staff is made up of about 10 persons split between the wine storehouse, production, marketing and administration. It is therefore a close-knit team that is the force behind the Cave de Bissey. The highlight of the wine cellar is our store since this is where most of our production is sold. The cellar’s wine growers had long decided to sell directly to customers. At our cellar, you will find gift boxes, local products and above all, a personalised welcome and a listening ear.

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Our values

As a cooperative, we have strong values and are attached to our local region. Focused on cooperation, mutual assistance, social responsibility and the human touch, cooperative members have always chosen to invest in and be committed to the cellar and pay close attention to the quality of the products...

As far as possible, we choose local suppliers from small or medium-sized companies. We also have a true partnership with them, not just a commercial connection. We choose to sustain our local region.

Conscious of today’s environmental challenges, we have proudly put in place integrated cultivation techniques in our vineyards. Consequently, nearly 90% of the surface area cultivated by our cooperative wine makers has been certified High Environmental Value (HEV).

We also take full responsibility for our impact on the environment: the wine cellar has chosen to invest in solar panels to produce electricity.

Our terroirs, our know-how

Thanks to our plots of land, our terroir is diverse; this includes an area comprised of sandy, granitic soil in the commune of Bissey.

The distinguishing feature of our wine cellar is its production of Crémants de Bourgogne through its mastery of the entire traditional method. A consistent award winner, our crémants embody finesse and elegance.

With our customer-focused quality approach, we have full control of our traceability. From a climate viewpoint, the influence of the continental climate compensates for the northern location with hot summers and dry autumns. Such conditions favour the perfect adaptation of Burgundy grape varieties by harmoniously combining terroir, climate, soil and exposure to the sun.

Topography also plays a key role in that the grapevines are planted on slopes with most sunshine exposure, at an altitude of between 250-370 meters.

Our wines

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