Our cooperative spirit has been forged as a result of three interwoven periods.
The first is spread over millions of years.
The second stretches out over two thousand years.
The third is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary…
The birth of the soils
From the first traces of limestone deposited as marine sediments 50 million years ago to the light clay that emerged in more recent millennia, our Bordeaux terroirs. Et pourtant, on sait que les formations géologiques qui les composent sont parmi les plus jeunes des vignobles français !
This turbulent history, which spans tectonic uplifts, massive gravel deposits, and successive glaciations,was just the start… Producing wines that express their terroir required the unremitting efforts of many generations of winegrowing families.
The expansion of the vineyards
The first vines were planted by the Bituriges vivisques, the Celtic tribes who founded Burdigala, qui deviendra Bordeaux. C’est sous la paix romaine, au 1er siècle de notre ère, que la vigne s’enracine autour de l’estuaire de la Gironde. Biturica, cépage importé possiblement de Grande-Bretagne, s’impose par sa résistance aux conditions climatiques océaniques du Bordelais. Les cépages The Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, grape varieties, which are predominant in our modern viticultural landscape, along with Merlot, are considered the descendants of Biturica.
Golden ages and turning points
Two thousand years d’histoire politique, économique et commerciale s’ensuivent, marquée par trois grandes étapes pour les vins de Bordeaux : The expansion of trade to England in the 12th century, the quest for quality in the 17th and 18th centuries under the Dutch influence, and the beginnings of fame in the 19th century with the construction of the châteaux and the first 1855 classification.Of course, the region was not spared from numerous crises, invasions, wars, vine diseases, falling prices… But Bordeaux winegrowers have always bounced back, inventing, for instance, the “bouillie bordelaise” (Bordeaux mixture) to fight against mildew or establishing legislation to create appellations and prevent fraud.
The Tutiac epic saga
Our cooperative takes its roots in the Blaye region,north of Bordeaux. Here, geological history led to the formation of the Butte de Tutiac(Tutiac slope), where Saint-Louis had a chapel built amidst the vines in 1234. This humble monument, which was erected to honour God, has stood witness to hundreds of vintages. The peaceful spirit of the place and its endurance over time inspired us to have faith in the future and remain loyal to the vineyards. That’s why we decided to name our cooperative “Tutiac”. Established in 1974, it is a tale of people,collective efforts and shared progress, marked by major milestones: 1988 and the construction of our Marcillac cellar a few kilometres from the chapel; 1993, 2005 and 2009, three key stages in our winegrowers’ association; 2018, when producers from the Cave de Lugon et de Sauternes (Lugon and Sauternes cooperative) joined us. Not forgetting a strategic turn of events in 2019, which strengthened the Tutiac brand… And the story goes on!
Our highly symbolic logo
The swallow
At the confluence of the Dordogne and Garonne Rivers, lovers of Bordeaux wines will make out the shape of a swallow tail. The estuary thus forms the body of the bird, which was called “aronde” en vieux français. “Gironde” viendrait-il de là ? Quoi qu’il en soit, cette hirondelle réunit la rive droite et la rive gauche du vignoble bordelais. Comme Tutiac ! Oiseau de bon augure, elle incarne aussi freedom, loyalty, and enthusiasm, attributs dans lesquels notre coopération se reconnaît bien.
The “gabarre” (river barge)
Until the mid-19th century, this traditional flat-bottomed boat transported barrels of Bordeaux wine throughout the region’s rivers. It was the most effective means to deliver goods to Bordeaux’s trading port, before the barrels were sent abroad. The “gabarre” still evokes memories of this indefatigable commercial energy which helped our wines take over the world.
The logo
Pulled by two swallows and pushed by the wind, a “gabarre” transports people and their wine barrels… In a joyful allegory, the Tutiac logo reflects the relationship between our winegrowers and nature, as well as the ties between geography, history and trade, qui ont fait des vins de Bordeaux ce qu’ils sont aujourd’hui. C’est une image pleine d’élan et de liberté, en même temps qu’inscrite dans Bordeaux's time-honoured traditions .
Bordeaux through and through!
Simple and direct, our slogan lays claim to an entire region and history, alongside all Bordeaux appellations. It expresses a positive, unified approach and advocates a distinctive winemaking style.
