Co-operative values form the cement that binds winegrowers within the les Vignobles Foncalieu group, but they also share a desire to enhance their vineyard sites and aim for excellence and authenticity, all of which is fuelled by sustainability. Over half a century after its inception in 1967 in Arzens, Aude, Vignobles Foncalieu is still as enterprising as ever and has become a force to be reckoned with on the Southern French wine scene. Finding strength in unity, it now embraces Celliers du Nouveau Monde in Puichéric, Vignerons de la Cité de Carcassonne, Vignerons du Pays d’Ensérune near Béziers, and more recently, the La Redorte & Castelnau d’Aude Winery. Each of these mergers has broadened the group’s scope – which now covers three AOPs and an array of four IGPs – allowing winegrowers to tap into a 30-strong varietal range over an outstanding collection of vineyard sites covering 4000 ha. From the terraces of the Aude, home to the famous due-south-facing hillsides of the Minervois, to the stony limestone soils of Corbières-Boutenac, the distinctive red earth in Cazedarnes, Saint-Chinian and the deep soils lining the Mediterranean, this mosaic of vineyards produces both wines or pleasure and outstanding pours, embracing every consumer taste. Les Vignobles Foncalieu has chosen to partner with the French sommelier organisation (UDSF) for the prestigious ASI (International Sommelier Association) competition to find the World’s Best Sommelier, due to take place in February 2023. At the core of this partnership are shared values – a quest for excellence and a passion for stellar craftsmanship.