While the Mouton Cadet name is familiar to wine enthusiasts and newbies alike—the brand’s bottles started appearing on Canadian shelves before many of us were born—the intentional care that goes into Mouton Cadet’s wine production isn’t that well known on this side of the pond.

First, the 411: The brand hails from the Bordeaux region, which is in the southwest of France. The first-born and star of its lineup, a red blend of Merlot and Cabernet in which the former’s smooth tannins balance the latter’s crisp acidity, is celebrating its 90th anniversary with a special vintage this year.

Bordeaux Red AOC

Price: $18.95

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But taste isn’t everything; people are at the heart of everything Mouton Cadet does. In fact, the brand is fuelled by long-standing relationships with 200 local winemakers who grow and harvest grapes from 1,500 hectares of vines. Thanks to them, one can find the entire Bordeaux region and all its nuances in a single bottle.

The winegrowers’ local know-how is combined with Mouton Cadet’s constant desire to innovate and offer the best to the consumer. The brand makes personalized recommendations for each vineyard and plot in order to get the best out of the vines from a technical point of view. It’s a team effort, and the wine production, even on a large scale, is seen as a craft, meticulous work in which every detail counts, from grape selection to ripening time.

 

– Jérôme Aguirre, Head Winemaker and Director of Mouton Cadet wines

As part of Mouton Cadet’s commitment to respecting and preserving the local land and people—from the winemakers to the consumers—the company’s partner winegrowers have all received France’s HEV certification, which identifies “particularly environmentally friendly practices,” and 20 percent of them even practise organic viticulture.

Learn more about this heritage brand at moutoncadet.com.