Masters of the land and proud of their craft, the Cooperative’s wine growers all share a love of their vineyards. All year round they tend to their vines while, in the winery, they make and market the wines. Back when it was founded, the wine cooperative consisted of 116 wine growers. Three years later, they were 180, and today their number exceeds 400 members.
United and determined, creative and innovative, these wine growers represent a veritable raw talent which plays a crucial role in the development of our local area, the conservation of the environment and the preservation of the region’s rural activity.
« We produce wines with protected designations of origin which are building our reputation over the long term. Our vineyards, and our winery, which is the extension of these vineyards, are founded for several generations of wine growers. Together we have the ability and determination to move forward, for the benefit of all”, Marc Sangoy, President. »
Marc Sangoy, President
The Cave de Lugny, whose roots date back to the 18th century, when the wines from the vineyards of Saint Pierre, Les Crêts and La Grande Vigne were already famous, la Cave de Lugny was officially founded on 30 January 1927, and was the second wine cooperative established in the Mâconnais region, one year after that of Saint-Gengoux-de-Scissé.
Sharing common values and interests, the two wineries decided to merge in 1966, but maintained their own production sites. The combined group embarked on a strategy of investment which included the extension of the buildings, and in 1970, the installation of packaging facilities, with a specific set-up for each site – the production of the red wines at Saint-Gengoux-de-Scissé and the white wines at Lugny. In 1987, the Group’s long name was replaced by the shorter and more memorable “Cave de Lugny”.
In 1994, the Cave de Chardonnay joined the Cave de Lugny in order to benefit from the quality of its bottling facilities and sales organisation
Today, the three Cave de Lugny wineries are all specialized. The winery in the celebrated village of Chardonnay is dedicated to the production of sparkling wines. At Saint-Gengoux-de-Scissé, we mainly vinify the red wines. At Lugny, we vinify and age the white wines, and handle the bottling, packaging and shipping of all our appellations. Having been available in the U.K. and the U.S. for over 40 years, our wines are now enjoyed around the world.
Cave de Lugny has therefore played a crucial role in the opening of export markets as it sold the first bottles of “Mâcon” wines in the United States and England 40 years ago. This international distribution was, of course, important to developing the winery’s reputation, but it also benefited the wine region as a whole by helping to drive sales of all the Mâconnais appellations.
Our wines are currently available in 21 countries on 4 continents; the U.K., the U.S. and Belgium are our top markets. They are also widely available in Europe and are particularly popular in the Netherlands and Ireland. Even the Australians are showing a growing interest in our authentic Chardonnays…..!