Producteurs Plaimont

The Producteurs Plaimont co-operative is based in the village of St. Mont, located in the Gers in Gascony, South West France. It is equal distance from the Pyrénées and the Atlantic Ocean and is South of Bordeaux. The vineyards are located in the rolling hills of the region and the landscape is green and lush, it is a stunning part of France.

The Plaimont co-operative is made up of five main cellars at St. Mont, Aignan, Plaisance, Crouseilles (see photo) and Condom. Over 1000 winegrowers work on the vineyards as part of the Plaimont co-operative. The growers respect tradition, harvesting by hand and green-harvesting to improve the grape quality and the wines concentration.  The growers have chosen to work with the co-operative who are responsible for the wine making.  Around 50 per cent of their production is exported to other countries.

The directors at Plaimont have a strong sense of social responsibility and there are many initiatives in place to keep the region alive and the wine industry buoyant. For example, Plaimont tries to help the wine growers to understand the markets they are selling to so that they have faith in the decisions the co-operative makes and a strong sense of trust is developed. Each grower has time dedicated to this and so they visit their export  markets to visit their retailers and restaurant customers.

The wine range is wide with four key styles that make up the Plaimont portfolio:

• Vins de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne
• Côtes de St. Mont (AOC)
• Madiran (AOC)
• Pacherenc de Vic-Bilh
  

Plaimont's wines are made using traditional Gascony grape varieties. The key varieties are:

• White Arrufiac, Colombard, Ugni-Blanc, Petit Courbu, Petit Manseng, Gros Manseng and Listan
• Some Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay area also grown
• Red Tannat, Pinenc, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
• Some Merlot is also grown

The vineyards of St. Mont began in the 4th century BC when the first plants were imported by the Greeks.  As such, the St. Mont vineyards are some of the oldest in France. Wines from St. Mont were exported to the UK as early as the 14th century.

Madiran is known for its red wines, made predominantly from Tannat. The wines are traditionally full bodied with rich tannins, perfect for matching with the region's famous duck. More recently softer styles of Madiran are being developed for the modern market and taste. New vinification techniques, such as micro-oxygenation, are being employed to create fruity wines with softer tannins.  Later picking of the grapes is also producing wines with more fruit character.

Pacherenc de Vic-Bilh is part of the Madiran appellation and is entirely white wine; the name comes from the old language of Gascony. The most famous wines from Pacherenc are the late harvested wines. The grapes for Plaimont's St Sylvestre are harvested on New Year's Eve. Following the harvest the locals gather together to celebrate the New Year. The wine is rich and honeyed and the perfect match to the local, excellent, foie gras.

This part of France is renowned for its love of a good festival and Plaimont is heavily involved in many of them, as they often centre on the wines of the region. This is another example of how important the local culture is to Plaimont and the co-operative's constant drive to inject energy into the region. The area also hosts one of the biggest jazz festivals in Europe, the Jazz in Marciac Festival, held during the first two weeks of August.

The St Mont wine festival in March sees the whole village out on the streets, dressed in traditional costume and enjoying the local delicacies, with duck featuring heavily on the menu. The ritual of carrying a barrel of wine from the Plaimont cellars to the top of the hill in St Mont is re-enacted. It is a great weekend for tourists to see and visits can be made to local cellars and wine shops.

In May the Madiran fait le Printemps festival takes place, with gastronomy high on the agenda. Top chefs from across France come to the festival, which in hosted in four major cities including Toulouse.

July is time for the Festival Tempo Latino held in Vic-Fezensac. The festival comprises a number of events including free concerts in the afternoon and conga nights for salsa dancers, there is a buzzing carnival atmosphere and local cafés open their doors to the many visitors. A glass or two of St. Mont wine can be enjoyed at the Bar des Amis, run by the winegrowers.

Throughout harvest, which starts in September, the area is a hive of activity. This cumulated on New Year's Eve with the harvest of the St Sylvestre grapes.

Plaimont's investment in the local community can be further demonstrated by the 25 gîtes that the co-operative now owns in the region. Plaimont invested in the gîtes in order to keep young families in the area and involved in the wine industry.  Each gîte is run by a winegrower and his or her family. Often bed and breakfast is offered to visitors and some of the properties are run like relaxed hotels where a wonderful evening meal is cooked for guests and the local wines are sampled. One or two places offer weekend activities such as how to prepare duck and are the perfect weekend away for food and wine enthusiasts.