Stuart Todt - One of Bordeaux’s largest AOC wine cooperatives, La Cave des Hauts de Gironde (CHG), is investing EUR13m in a restructuring and expansion programme. Work will start next month on a 6,500sqm extension to facilities at the co-op’s HQ in Marcillac, comprising a bottling line and storage area for finshed products. Both should be ready by spring 2011, said CHG this week.

The co-op’s currently sends 75% of its annual output of 200,000 hectolitres to Bordeaux traders, with only 7m bottles sold under its Les Vignerons de Tutiac brand. “Our objective is to increase this to 12m bottles which would represent half of our production,” CHG’s president, Stéphane Héraud, told just-drinks. The co-op is also planning to invest EUR6m over the next three years in a plan to create four sites specialising in winemaking and two sites dedicated to storage.