Tradition and reinvention
Discover the history of the Vaud cooperative and the talents of Cave de La Côte, from the oenologist to the producers.
The cultivation of vines here goes back thousands of years. A setting and villages of unspoilt charm, between Lake Geneva and the Jura, where the presence of the Benedictine monks and their long history can still be seen. To the north and west, the Jura mountains protect against the wind, while on the south side, Lake Geneva provides light, reflection and thermal regulation. Between the two, the water flows out of the mountains towards the lake.
Cave de La Côte was created in the heart of this terroir and this AOC, whose name and values it bears proudly. The attachment to the land and its trades, the pride in its history and its winegrowers, and the audacity to shake up the codes.
Between the two lies the largest wine regions in the Canton of Vaud. The AOC La Côte extends over 2000 hectares between Geneva and Lausanne, along parcels of land delimited by waterways and low walls, dotted with castles and Estates.
The history of the cooperative and the talents of Cave de La Côte
Our talents
The human at the center
Our producers
People are at the heart of the Cave de La Côte business model, which is built around its 300 members and winegrowers, who are the true owners and influencers of the cooperative’s activities.
The cooperative form is in vogue: it is committed to and supports local production, which is important to consumers. The cooperative undertakes to process the entire harvest of its members. Its purchases benefit the winegrower directly, without intermediaries. The profits are reinvested in the cellar and for the benefit of the producers themselves.
Our Chief oenologist
Since 2003, Rodrigo Banto has been the chief oenologist responsible for Cave de La Côte. The little accent of this agronomist and engineer specialised in viticulture and agrology betrays his Chilean origins, where he trained.
Modest in the face of his many awards over the years, Rodrigo Banto is looking forward to future challenges. He constantly remains on the lookout for technological advances in the profession.
A true craftsman of the winery’s success, the oenologist always has a word for his teams, reflecting that he does not forget the investment in their work.
Our managers
With over 70 employees, Cave de La Côte is proud to present its management team (from left to right):
- Gilles Cornut – Technical Director
- Marc Vicari – Marketing Director
- Giuseppe Foglietta – Administrative and Financial Director
- Fabio Marscia – Purchasing & Strategic Planning Director
- Julien Hoefliger – Managing Director – CEO
The history of the cooperative and the talents of Cave de La Côte
Our history
From 1929 to today, in constant evolution
In 1929, a handful of winegrowers from the Morges region joined forces to create a cooperative winery. Over the years, new winegrowers, villages and estates, new plots of land and appellations. Like for examples in Nyon, Tolochenaz, Bursinel or St-Prex, Vinzel, Féchy and Perroy, Luins, Rolle and Mont-sur Rolle…
Today, Cave de La Côte groups together some 1,800 plots of various sizes and extends from Lausanne to Satigny over 450 hectares – a quarter of the vineyards on the Côte.
The largest of the small cellars, or the smallest of the large ones, the cooperative brings together nearly 300 producers and several leading estates in Swiss wine growing.
Cave de La Côte intends to work and vinify each wine according to a personalised approach, with the winegrower as its first contact. True to the original meaning of the notion of cooperative, Cave de La Côte truly belongs to its producers.
