Loire Valley, France
The only wine co-operative in the Auvergne, Cave Saint-Verny, takes its name from Saint Verny, who was adopted as the patron saint of vignerons in 1624 and whose image can still be seen throughout the Auvergne. The cellar takes in grapes from 53 communes throughout the area, resulting in an average holding of less than 2ha per member; a factor in understanding why more than half of the crop is still harvested by hand.