Saint Vincent brotherhood of Visan
was created in 1475 by Visan winegrowers to honor their patron saint, it was the first brotherhood of the region and one of the first ones of France and moreover it was mixed.
After a break due to the religion wars, the members of the brotherhood presented new statutes to the bishop in 1594 which were accepted in May of the following year.
Every year, on Saint Vincent day, the members gathered except for women, to elect new dignitaries. They elected the King, the Queen, a Lieutenant, two " Bailes " and an Officer, in presence of the parish priest.
At the 18th century, the ceremony of the vine-stock is added to the procession to the chapel. However, as the priest found this ceremony too pagan, they stopped going to the chapel from 1735. " Saint Vincent " brotherhood of Visan disappeared after August 18th ,1792 decree which abolished all the brotherhoods.
The winegrowers of the cellar Les Coteaux de Visan made it live again on August 13th, 1978, day of the first wine festival in Visan. They have kept all the authenticity of the brotherhood as well in their costume as in their chapters.
Their costume is very simple, black velvet trousers, a provençal waistcoat, the traditional red " taillole (a broad and long belt : 7 metres long) and a garnet-red cloak, they also wear the bronze medal which bears Saint Vincent's portrait.
Saint Vincent chapel built in the 12th century was restored in 1983, the main change was the two annual gathering instead of one.
For 25 years, the winegrowers of Saint Vincent brotherhood have been working restlessly to transmit their ancestors'traditions to the next generations so that Visan wine remains a quality symbol.
The brotherhood is composed with 25 members and holds two chapters,
the first one in winter on the Saturday which is the closer to Saint Vincent day, the second one is held on the second Saturday of July (July 10th, 2004), on this day, the king, the queen and the lieutenant of the brotherhood are elected and have to liberate the Marot cuvée which is walled up in the castle cellars.
During the winter chapter, their select their best cuvées coming from the old vines which were planted by their ancestors on the sunny hillsides and have been hand-harvested for several generations .
