Terres des Templiers, Wine cooperative and tourist attraction in Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
Terres des Templiers is a wine cooperative and tourist attraction in Banyuls-sur-Mer, a coastal town in southern France close to the Spanish border. It includes underground cellars, a tasting room, a shop, and a small cinema where a film about local wine production is screened.
The winemaking tradition in this area dates back to the 13th century, when the Knights Templar farmed the land and planted the first vines. The cooperative as it exists today was established in the 20th century, bringing together the local wine growers under a shared structure.
The name Terres des Templiers refers to the Knights Templar, who farmed this land during the Middle Ages. Visitors who walk through the old stone cellars today can still sense that connection, especially when guides explain how local Grenache and Mourvèdre grapes are still grown and processed much as they were centuries ago.
Visitors can join guided tours of the cellars without booking in advance, and tastings are generally free of charge. The site is accessible to people with reduced mobility, and there is a dedicated area where children can stay while adults taste wines.
Some of the barrels here are aged outdoors, left exposed to the sun and wind rather than stored in a cool cellar. This unusual method gives certain wines from the estate a flavor that is hard to find anywhere else and that visitors often notice right away during a tasting.
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