Sieur d'Arques is a wine producer cooperative located in
Limoux in the
Languedoc-Roussillon area of France.
It produces the
Red Bicyclette
Red Bicyclette is a French wine produced by the Sieur d'Arques cooperative and distributed in the United States by the E. & J. Gallo Winery. Its distinctive label appeals to consumers who prefer branded wines, labelled with the variety of grape f ...
brand of wine, marketed in the United States by
E & J Gallo Winery.
In 2012, Pierre Mirc retired as chairman of Sieur d'Arques. Current executives include Maurice Lautard, chairman;
Laurent Lechat, general manager;
Guilhem Marty, technical director.
History
In 1531, Benedictine monks in the
Abbaye de Saint-Hilaire (a neighbouring commune of Limoux) noticed that bubbles had appeared in fermenting wine.
Passing-off controversy
Sieur d'Arques were prosecuted in 2010 for passing off wines blended from other grape varieties as pinot noir in order to charge higher prices to E. & J. Gallo, for whom this was their most popular variety. The amount of imitation pinot noir sold in this way exceeded the production of the
Languedoc region and this scandal was said to have damaged the region's reputation. The defendants were convicted. Jail sentences were given but suspended and fines of up to €180,000 were levied.
Toques et Clochers
Sieur d'Arques sponsors the annual
Toques et Clochers Toques et Clochers is an annual two-day charitable gastronomy festival in Aude, France dedicated to the celebration of Chardonnay production in the Limoux wine appellation, sponsored by the Sieur d'Arques wine cooperative.
The festival has taken ...
gastronomy festival in
Aude
Aude (; ) is a Departments of France, department in Southern France, located in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region and named after the river Aude (river), Aude. The departmental council also calls it "Ca ...
.
References
External links
*{{Official website, http://www.sieurdarques.com/
Companies based in Languedoc-Roussillon
Cooperatives in France
Wineries of France