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 terroirshave been shaped since time immemorial. And yet the geological formations that make up the Bordeaux vineyards are some of the youngest in France!
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, which would later become Bordeaux.st century AD, winegrowing developed close to the Gironde Estuary. Biturica, a grape variety probably imported from Great Britain, stood out thanks to its resistance to Bordeaux’s oceanic climate. 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 of political, economic and commercial history unfolded, marked by three major milestones for the Bordeaux wine region. 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” in old French.Is this where “Gironde” comes from? In any case, this swallow tail unites the right and left banks of the Bordeaux region. Like Tutiac! A good omen, this bird also embodies freedom, loyalty, and enthusiasm– characteristics that reflect our cooperative spirit. 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, responsible for the Bordeaux wines we know today. It is a powerful image of freedom which alsoevokese 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.
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