Domaine du Traginer — Jean-François Deu

The Domaine's history began in the mid-1970s in the commune of Banyuls-sur-Mer. Jean-François Deu, the son of a winemaker born in the village, gradually took over from his father and founded his own "Cave Particulière" at the beginning of 1976. His goal was to perpetuate the winemaking tradition of the Côte Vermeille with a constant concern for preserving the environment and ancestral Catalan practices.

From his earliest years, he worked with mules to plow the fields and transport the grapes to the cellar. His uncle, Anicet Deu, the last muleteer in Banyuls still active until the late 1990s, helped him in his winemaking venture and passed on his passion for mules. He paid tribute to him by naming his "Cave Particulière" Domaine du Traginer, meaning muleteer in French.

In 1997, he had a forward-thinking vision and became a pioneer in the ecological transition of the Cru. To preserve the surrounding environment and cultivate life with dignity in order to make a living from his craft, he obtained organic farming certification. Along with Michel Chapoutier and Alain Castex, two other leading figures in the wine world, they were the first three winemakers on the Côte Vermeille to take this path.

In the late 1990s, he experimented with certain principles of biodynamic viticulture and in 2001 produced his first wines without added sulfites. This marked the beginning of a revival in the Cru, where other promising young winemakers, sharing a similar vision, would reinforce this approach throughout the decade.

In 2013, to formalize its commitment to making "authentic" wine, the Domaine obtained DEMETER certification (a German label). Viticulture and winemaking are now conducted entirely according to biodynamic principles. Domaine du Traginer is the only DEMETER-certified winery in the Collioure-Banyuls appellation.

Today, the estate comprises 18 hectares of vines, ranging from 5 to 80 years old, planted exclusively in the commune of Banyuls-sur-Mer, nestled between the coast and the mountains. Yields are naturally very low, averaging less than 20 hl/ha annually. This results in the production of structured and generous premium wines. The estate owns two mules that assist with plowing the land using animal traction, and a flock of sheep manages the ground cover in the vineyards during the winter months.

Jean-François DEU, surrounded by a passionate team, shares this sincere adventure with you.