Caves Byrrh of Thuir, Wine cellar in Thuir, France

Caves Byrrh is a former aperitif production complex in Thuir, built from the 19th century. Its curved corner facade combines pale stone with horizontal bands of red brick, and a wide dark-red sign reading "CAVES BYRRH" sits above three glass entrances. Inside, annexe 7 shelters 70 oak vats under a metal roof frame, while annexe 7bis holds a 10,000-hectoliter oak vat assembled between 1935 and 1950 by the Fruhinshcoltz cooperage of Nancy.

The Byrrh cellars were built from the 19th century in Thuir to make the Byrrh aperitif. In 2020 part of the installations, including oak vats and tanks, was inscribed as a monument historique. On the night of 9 to 10 May 2022 a roof fire destroyed part of the buildings but left the historic vats undamaged. Since 2011 annexes 3, 7 and 7bis have been open to visitors after Pernod-Ricard ceded them to the Communauté de communes des Aspres.

The name Byrrh comes from the drink itself, a wine-based aperitif the Violet brothers created in 1866. In annex 3, which now houses the Thuir tourist office, a collection of advertising posters dating from 1903 was long displayed. The rest of the site still belongs to Pernod-Ricard, which uses it to produce various spirits.

Since 2011, annexes 3, 7 and 7bis have been open to visitors after Pernod-Ricard ceded them to the Communauté de communes des Aspres. Annex 3 holds the Thuir tourist office and three concrete tanks; annex 7, under a metal roof frame, shelters 70 oak vats and leads into 7bis. The rest of the site is still used by Pernod-Ricard to make spirits.

The 10,000-hectolitre oak vat in annexe 7bis was assembled between 1935 and 1950 by the Fruhinshcoltz cooperage of Nancy; at the time of its construction it was the largest oak vat in the world. It stands 10 metres tall, measures 12.46 metres across and weighs 110 tonnes empty.