The more recent history of the Pinet Co-operative Winery starts with the wine-farmers' reaffirming their common interest and mutual support.
It was on 30 May and 15 June 1922 that two letters came from the Ministry of Agriculture officialising the creation of the Traditional Pinet White Wine Producers' Association and the Co-operative Winery.
This was an unusual event at the time as co-operatives were few and far between, the earlier structures that were grouped together in the Southern French Wine-farmers' Federation, had not been allowed to set up their own county federation. Seventy years later, the same spirit of solidarity could still be seen in the way the 1990 grape harvest was saved when the vines were badly damaged by a hailstorm: on 19 May 1990, in response to an appeal from wine-farming unions, co-operatives and organisations, 1500 volunteers came with their secateurs and repruned 1,500,000 vines

Important dates for the Ormarine Winery :

118 BC: C.N. Domitius Ahenobarbus builds a road through Lower Languedoc, linking Narbonne to Rome. The Domitian Way from Spain to Italy, which ran through what are now the Pinet vineyards, encouraged the growth of wine-farming in the area.

16th C: Piquepoul recognised as a grape producing premium quality wines.

 

1618:Piquepoul cited as one of the six finest grape varieties in Languedoc in "Sylve Plantarium", a work by the famous botanist, J.B. Magnol.

May 1773: Turgot issues a decree giving permission for the people of the Community of Pinet, in the Diocese of Agde, to brand every barrel of their wine with the words Pinet Wine.

1835: The Marquis of Saint Genyes exports Picpoul de Pinet to Belgium and       England.

1860: Baron Paul Dubois, Doctor to the Empress Eugenie, marries his daughter to a man from Hérault County. The Emperor Napoleon III has the marriage celebrated in the Tuileries. Picpoul de Pinet is served at the feast. Having tasted the wine, the Duke of Morny declares, "The spirit of this wine reconciles me with the Republicans of Hérault Country."

1900: Considerable Picpoul de Pinet is exported via the Mediterranean ports and those on Thau Lake until the area is hit by the phylloxera epidemic.

1922:The first official steps are taken to set up the Pinet White Wine Producers' Association.

9 January 1923: the 53 founder members of the Co-operative undertake to supply 6188 hectolitres to the winery. In September, the first grape harvest is delivered to the Winery. It is bought by Ets Noilly-Prat of Marseillan.

1947: Picpoul de Pinet is awarded the VDQS label.

1974: Bottling and selling the wine is now handled by the SICA PICPOUL DE PINET.

1985: Picpoul de Pinet is awarded an AOC classification.

19 Mai 1990: In a superb gesture of solidarity to save the harvest after the vineyards are hit by hail, 1500 volunteers prune 1,500,000 vines.

27 Mai 1992: The Producers' Association celebrates its 70th anniversary, and official launching of its commercial brand name Cave de l'Ormarine - Ormarine Winery.

30 Août 1995: A Plc is set up : Cave de l'Ormarine S.A.

1999: Picpoul de Pinet's AOC dossier is presented to INAO - the National Wine and Eau-de-Vie Institute.

2000: Investments in harvest reception equipment further improving traceability and product quality.