History of Champagne and birth of Cooperative Cellars

At a time when champagne has become a symbol of luxury and refinement, it's hard to imagine that in the late 19th century, the Champagne winemaker was often a figure of poverty and precariousness. In those days, the winegrower was simply a grape producer, a vineyard worker with no control over the vinification or marketing of his product. This role was reserved for négociants, the intermediaries who bought the grapes or raw wine to make champagnes, which they then marketed. Sales prices were therefore set by the négociants, leaving the winemaker little room for manoeuvre and often derisory remuneration, depending on market fluctuations. This unbalanced economic situation left winegrowers vulnerable, despite their hard work in the vineyards.

The production system at the time was profoundly unequal: winegrowers, although the originators of the product, were in a subordinate position. They were often forced to sell their grapes at low prices, which prevented them from investing in improving their viticultural practices or transforming their production. Moreover, successive agricultural, economic and social crises made their situation even more fragile. Winegrowers were therefore in a precarious position, with little opportunity to influence the added value of their work.

However, on the eve of the 20th century, tensions were mounting between grape growers and wine merchants. The injustice of the distribution of wealth manifested itself violently in the winegrowers' revolt of 1911. This revolt, fuelled by growers' frustration at low prices for their grapes and the domination of the négociants, marked a turning point in the history of champagne. Although the revolt was put down, it sparked a collective awareness among winegrowers, who now sought to regain more direct control over their work and their product.

The First World War of course slowed the evolution of this dynamic, but after the conflict, the idea of cooperation gradually gained ground. This model aimed to enable winegrowers to process and market their production in a more collective and equitable way. As early as 1920, the first cooperative wineries came into being, although this system only developed more massively after the Second World War. The caves coopératives offered winegrowers a way of joining forces to better control the production, processing and marketing of champagne. This participatory model enabled them to free themselves in part from the domination of the négociants, and to defend fairer remuneration for their work.

Today, the caves coopératives play a central role in the champagne economy. Around 90% of Champagne's vineyards are owned by cooperative winegrowers. This large share of the vineyard belongs to independent producers who sell their grapes to the trade, via these cooperatives. These cooperatives, which bring together many small producers, buy their members' grapes by the kilo, a system that enables winegrowers to receive remuneration in proportion to the quantity of grapes they deliver. This system has become the norm for the vast majority of Champagne growers. By selling their grapes to cooperatives, they benefit from a degree of economic stability, although the price paid per kilo may vary according to grape quality and market conditions.

The cooperative model offers many advantages to winegrowers. On the one hand, it enables them to group together to exert a collective influence on the market, while retaining a significant share of production under their own control. Secondly, cooperatives play an essential role in technical management, vinification and marketing, ensuring a certain consistency in the quality of the champagnes produced. By pooling production and distribution costs, they enable many winegrowers to survive in an increasingly competitive market.

The evolution of these cooperatives since the end of the Second World War has been impressive. The first cooperative wineries, still artisanal, gradually evolved into large-scale structures, integrating modern technologies and sophisticated management processes. Their ability to produce quality champagnes and ensure efficient distribution has enabled cooperatives to gain influence. They are now a key player in champagne production, playing a fundamental role in promoting the product and defending the interests of winegrowers.

Today, 135 caves coopératives exist in Champagne, representing a majority of the region's winegrowers. As well as providing economic leverage for winegrowers, these cooperatives also play a strategic role in preserving the identity and traditions of the Champagne terroir. They enable winegrowers to combine their passion for viticulture with the demands of the global champagne market, while guaranteeing a degree of financial stability.

Today, champagne is a world-renowned luxury product, but its history is deeply marked by the winegrowers' struggle for fairer recognition and remuneration. The cooperative model, born of the winegrowers' revolt and successive crises, has enabled them to reclaim their destiny and secure their place in the champagne-making process. Thanks to this system, winegrowers can now produce quality champagne in solidarity with one another, united in a collective approach that has spanned the centuries and continues to mark the identity of the world's most prestigious wine.