• Origins of the appelation • Dedicated winemakers • A bespoke bottle for the appellation • The appellation in figures • A brotherhood to promote the appellation’s wines

The brotherhood.

A brotherhood to promote the appellation’s wines

In the Lirac terroir and surrounding vineyards,
producers aware of the quality of their wines regularly sought protection for them from the provincial authorities.

On 10th December 1744, continuing the good offices of his predecessors, the intendant-general of Languedoc ordered the appointment of sworn measurers, fixed the exact volumes of the different barrels, and adopted an official model of measuring gauge.

The job of these measurers was primarily to check that the barrels were in compliance, and, using
gauges, to measure the exact volumes contained in them; certificates authenticating the container and its contents were then issued. The consuls of Roquemaure swore in the measurers and monitored use of the standard gauge.

The heir to this tradition, the Brotherhood of Lirac Measurers, was established on the 50th anniversary of our appellation and sustains the values of winemaking based on quality.

The current measurers, whose tricolour robes (red, rosé and white!) are those of 18th-century townsfolk not lawmen, today gauge the wines with their palate! But they take pride in carrying the measuring gauge, the emblem of their duties and expertise.
As the stipulated in the regulations, which call for “merry drinking” and “merry eating” in an atmosphere of “jovial humour”, the measurers provide the conviviality for which Lirac wines are renowned. They conduct enthronements and prestige tastings, parades and gala evenings, all with the wish of sharing their love of their wine. Their purple robes and enduring tradition make them Lirac’s visible ambassadors.