The tormented geology of the hills around Cabrières has created a strikingly beautiful countryside, and a soil which lends its character to the wines produced here. Winemaking in this region dates back many centuries and historians have documented the production of red, white and rosé wines around Cabrières since the 8th Century.

With nearly 1,000 acres of vineyards, spread over 7,500 acres of moorland, woods and hills, the vines grow on slate scree (known as the scales of Cabrières) and nestle at the foot of the ‘Pic de Vissou’ mountain (1,440 feet).

The Co-operative of Caves de L’Estabel was created in 1937 and saw its first production the following year in 1938 in the form of 600,000 litres of mainly white wine! In less than 10 years the Cave tripled its output, and today it produces an average of 2,000,000 litres per 1,000 acres and represents 110 vineyards.

The introduction of new varieties of grape, bearing the ‘appellation contrôlée’, brought about a substantial drop in the size of the grape harvest, but ensured a considerable improvement in the quality of the wine produced.