Cave Saint-Marc - Winery

Cave Saint-Marc, Winemaking Cooperative in the Heart of France

The story of the Saint-Marc Winery starts in 1928 with the creation of winegrowers cooperative in Caromb. The enterprise brought together around 100 winemakers from the foothills of Mount Ventoux in the Vaucluse department. Today, that number has grown to more than 300 growers.

Tour de France Connection with Cave Saint-Marc

The vineyards grow under the Ventoux appellation. While Mount Ventoux is famous as a stage of the Tour de France, it is also famous for its wines. Within the appellation, there is mostly hard clay-limestone soil, but also ancient alluvium with smooth stones. The location of the vineyards of Saint-Marc Winery benefit from the abundant sunshine in this area. Cave Saint-Marc production comprises reds, whites, and rosés grapes. Red grape varieties grown are Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, and Merlot. There is also a grape called Caladoc, a cross between Malbec and Grenache. The white varieties that grow at Saint-Marc include Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Viognier, Muscat, Chardonnay, and Roussanne. There is also Clairette, a white grape commonly grown in Provence and the Languedoc which has been in decline recently.

Winery that Employs Traditional and Modern Methods

Key features of Saint-Marc wine production are careful selection of grapes from small plots and strictly limited vintages. While they employ traditional methods in the vineyards, new technology is playing an increasing role as well at Saint-Marc. This includes vinification in thermo-regulated vats and flash release which shortens the fermentation duration. Cave Saint-Marc produces around 30,000 hectolitres of wine annually, 60 percent of this is red wine, 35 percent rosé and 5 percent white.