France: The Soul of Wine in Oak - the Living Heritage of the Roussillon Region

Nestled among the low mountains and vast vineyards of the Roussillon region, the town of Thuir, in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France, is home to one of the most distinctive symbols of France's industrial heritage: the Caves Byrrh - the production and storage facility for the famous Byrrh aperitif, and the world's largest oak wine barrel - a unique engineering work built in the mid-20th century.

According to a VNA reporter in France, the story began in 1866, when two brothers, Simon and Pallade Violet, originally tailors in Thuir, decided to try their hand in the beverage industry.

They created a wine mixed with mistelle and quinquina – a tree bark containing quinine – to create a slightly bitter drink, used as an aperitif, and named the product Byrrh.

The name is entirely creative, pronounced like “beer” but without a specific meaning, easy to remember and visually impressive. An interesting anecdote suggests that the pronunciation of Byrrh evokes the sound of tearing fabric – a sound that awakens the senses, reflecting the brothers’ background as tailors.

Byrrh quickly became successful in the late 19th century thanks to a bold promotional strategy: large-format posters, hand-painted signs, and an extensive distribution network throughout France.

In the early 20th century, Byrrh became one of the most consumed aperitifs in Europe, before having to compete with names like Dubonnet or Martini.

To meet growing demand, the Caves Byrrh distillery was built and expanded over the decades, becoming a massive industrial complex with cellars, blending tanks, bottling facilities and warehouses. Much of the original structure remains, bearing the mark of 19th-20th century industrial architecture.

Today, the Caves Byrrh estate, part of the Pernod Ricard group, maintains limited production and is open as a tourist attraction - a museum, where visitors can learn about the brand's history, the winemaking process and admire the great work: the world's largest wine barrel.

This giant wine barrel was created by Marchive-Fruhinsholz, a manufacturer of wooden barrels for the wine industry, between 1935 and 1950.

The wine barrel has a capacity of 10,002 hectoliters (more than 1,000,200 liters of wine), is about 10 meters high, weighs more than 110 tons when empty, and is made of oak wood, assembled from hundreds of panels fixed with kilometers-long steel rings.

This wine barrel is not only a production tool but also a work of art, a symbol of industrial power, demonstrating the stature of the Byrrh brand and the technical capabilities of that period.

Although no longer used for production today, the giant wine barrel is perfectly preserved as a living monument, a testament to the innovative spirit and ambition of the 20th century.

In addition to its industrial value, Caves Byrrh is a unique cultural destination. Visitors can tour ancient wine cellars, view exhibitions of old advertisements, and discover the history of one of France's legendary apéritifs.

Byrrh is still produced today according to the traditional recipe, retaining its mild, smooth and Mediterranean flavor.

And in the heart of Thuir, the giant oak barrel still stands tall as a wooden monument to memory, technique and French industrial pride./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/phap-hon-ruou-trong-go-soi-di-san-song-cua-vung-roussillon-post1073813.vnp