In Nîmes, buying red wine helps support the local production of … jeans

Unclog a bottle of red wine to support the jeans "Made in France". The approach does not fail to interlude, but it could allow the city of Nîmes to reconnect with one of its historical know-how. Denim jeans, which abound in all the ready-to-wear boutiques in the world, were born in the 17th century, giving the name "Nîmes" trousers.

Four centuries later, when almost all production was relocated to China, Tunisia, Turkey or India, three Nîmois -two winemakers and the co-founder of the jeans manufacturer Les Ateliers de Nîmes- decided to make the return of this confection their battle horse. Their strategy? Use the proceeds from the sale of 1,000 bottles to buy two traditional looms for use by Les Ateliers de Nîmes. The company now imports its canvas from Italy, and subcontracts the manufacture of its trousers in Paris and Marseille. "It will take time, but the goal is to relocate both the weaving and the badembly of our jeans in Nîmes", hopes Guillaume Sagot, one of the three co-founders of the company born in 2014.

Several jobs at the clef

Such collaboration between winemakers and a jean manufacturer is surprising. Wrongly, according to Fanny Boyer, owner with her brother François of the vineyard at the origin of the cuvée entitled "Let's bring home the denim". Explanation. "On the one hand, you can find wine and jeans all over the world. But at the same time they are two products of historical know-how. There is therefore for both the link between craft and globalization ", explains this descendant of three generations of winemakers on the estate of Château Beaubois.

With this relocation, these singular partners intend to make jeans a key player in the economic landscape Nîmes. With several jobs at the key: "We will need a person for weaving, then a stylist and a logistics manager. We hope to create other jobs over time, "says Guillaume Sagot.

Back to machines dating back to the 1950s

Between 5,000 and 8,000 euros could be donated to the Ateliers de Nîmes thanks to the sale of this "militant cuvée". A sum that will be added to the 28,000 euros collected by the company in April through a crowdfunding campaign. Two first looms 1950s, the same as this sale will buy, had then been purchased. Because more than a marketing move, returning to these historic machines has an impact on the quality of the pants, the speed of weaving is much lower than that of the current trades. Above all, these historic machines are now part of the heritage of Nîmes. "We would like to organize tours in the workshops," Guillaume Sagot predicts.

Each of these bottles will be dressed with a Denim label. A way to recall the special flavor of this wine to those who will taste it.