Tonne of Vines

The “tonne de vigne” is the local term for a small building in the middle of the vineyard, once used to store tools and provide shelter during the harvest. The tonne could also house a vat for storing and fermenting freshly crushed grape must. Some tons have been converted to(…)

The “tonne de vigne” is the local term for a small building in the middle of the vineyard, once used to store tools and provide shelter during the harvest. The tonne could also house a vat for storing and fermenting freshly crushed grape must. Some tons have been converted to serve as dovecotes.

The vineyard tonne often follows the same model : a square construction topped by a single-sloped roof covered with hollow terracotta tiles. There are a few exceptions to this pattern. These include the Chareiron tonne, in Châteaugay, built of stone in the shape of a cone. There’s also the tonne near rue des Torts, in Pérignat-lès-Sarliève, with a pavilion roof covered in slate and a terrace overlooking the vineyards.

Some communes, such as Cournon-d’Auvergne, have restored these often derelict tons, while Romagnat has set up a participatory vineyard on the puy de Chomontel. Private initiatives are also behind their preservation, notably on the puy de Montaudoux in Ceyrat.

The Musée de la vigne et du vin, 24 avenue Jean Noellet, Aubière, traces the history of the Lower Auvergne vineyard and its know-how, from planting to vinification.