Beau Valet

Beau Valet, a creation of the Union de Producteurs de Saint Emilion, is deeply rooted in the Bordelais. Saint Emilion, a medieval village declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is known throughout the world thanks to its prestigious appellations and great wines. The beautiful architecture of the town embodies a long history in which men and women have always tried to preserve their unique identity.

Beau Valet - Bordeaux at its heart

One of them, Robert Villepigue - an agricultural engineer from Saint Emilion - managed Château Figeac from 1905 to 1928 and later acquired Château Cadet Piolat. Robert Villepigue had the idea, which was very innovative in Bordeaux at the time, of founding a cooperative winery in Saint Emilion. So, during the economic crisis of the 1930s, he brought together 6 winegrowers to create the Saint Emilion cooperative. The project became a reality in 1931 and the first cooperative in Bordeaux made its first wine in 1932. The main mission of the winery was to unite several wineries to share the means of production, winemaking and sales, usually in large quantities.

In 1966, the winery was recognized as a producer organization with members in the 8 communes of the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) "Saint Emilion"

• Saint Emilion
• Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes
• Saint-Etienne-de-Lisse
• Saint-Hippolyte
• Saint-Laurent-des-Combes
• Saint-Pey-d'Armens
• Vignonet
• Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens

Today, the Union de Producteurs represents just over 12% of the total AOC Saint Emilion.

Over the years, the Union de Producteurs de Saint Emilion has worked hard to perfect the quality of its wines, as evidenced by the certifications it has obtained: ISO 9001 version 2000, AgriConfiance, IFS (International Food Standard) and BRC (British Retail Consortium). More recently, in 2011, the winery was a pioneer in the integration of an EMS (Enivronmental Management System) association in Bordeaux, certified for the ISO 14001 standard. Finally, since July 2015, the Union de Producteurs de Saint-Emilion is certified AEO-Full by the customs authorities.