Plaimont’s Berets

Ever since the Middle Ages, the passion with which the Benedictine monks of Saint Mont Monastery patiently transformed grapes into wine has been handed down from generation to generation giving birth to a real and enduring love affair between man and the land. 

For many years, until the arrival of André Dubosc, a local boy from a family of three generations of winemakers, the wine produced was destined for distillation and the production of Armagnac. With a group of young winegrowers Dubosc set about waking up the appellation of Saint Mont, revitalising the sweet white wines of Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh and creating Vin de Pays dry whites (Côtes de Gascogne). 

In 1979 the three wine cooperatives of Plaisance, Aignan and Saint-Mont in the Gers joined forces – and initials (PL for Plaisance, AI for Aignan and MONT for Saint-Mont) – to set up a united group of cooperatives and vineyards which became “Plaimont Producteurs” in the Gers. In 1999, Plaimont Producteurs were joined by the cooperatives of Crouseilles (producing Madiran, Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh and Béarn) and Condom (Côtes de Gascogne and Condomois).

 “When founding director André Dubosq began to resurrect Saint-Mont, he insisted that the nascent appellation make stylish wines based on indigenous grape varieties. On enlêve les sabots, mais on garde le béret (we’ve removed our clogs, but we still wear our berets!),” grinned a bereted Étienne, summing up Plaimont’s fusion of antiquity with a dynamically modern approach.