Tonnellerie Damy: 80 Years of History!
- Aug 18
- 2 min read
Founded in 1946 in Nantoux (above Meursault) by Roger Damy, the Damy family cooperage, now well established in the Champs Lins zone in Meursault, started its activity repairing barrels and puncheons.
In 1970, Jacques Damy, the founder's son, took the reins of the business and moved operations to the center of the village of Meursault, on Rue des Forges. In 1976, he earned the prestigious title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF).
In 1998, Jérôme Damy, representing the third generation of the family, built a new cooperage in the Champs Lins industrial zone in Meursault. With market expansion and growing demand, the Damy family decided to further expand the company and settle permanently in this industrial zone.
2007: 80,730 sq.ft Building & 5-acre Stave Yard
Year after year, the cooperage continued to grow, nearly tripling its surface area to create a modern, functional building and expansive stave yard.
In 2007, Jérôme Damy earned the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France like his father. Today he serves as Chairman and CEO of the cooperage.
Reaching 80 years shows just how deeply rooted the company has become in its winemaking landscape. There is no great secret: success comes from working with passion, year after year.
The generations have known how to work together, and the cooperage is now firmly established among the great wine families of the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits.
The company has long been based in Meursault and considers itself "Murisaltienne" since there is only one cooperage in Meursault: Tonnellerie Damy.
A Trade that Remains Traditional but Innovative
The company has weathered the crises of the past eighty years and has always known how to adapt.
Customer requirements have changed: today, barrels need to be increasingly precise and increasingly suited to each wine. In the past there were only two types of toasting: one for white wines and one for red wines.
Today things are more customized according to the producer's needs.
The trade has evolved toward precision, but the technique remains traditional, especially when it comes to toasting. Machines have changed the work, but the artisanal knowledge has remained.
In the early 2000s the cooperage launched its own distinctive best seller with AML = Allier Forest and Medium Toast but with a long firing time.
Historically, it is the toasting of choice for white Burgundy wines,which lends notes of brioche and grilled bread and reduces the intensity of the wood with a touch of reduction. However times and the climate have changed, resulting in an increased demand for lighter toasts which Damy now provides via their progression of LL, LL++ and Chauffe Impérial options as well as other popular forest options including: Vosges, Jura, Châtillon, Bertranges, Jupilles, Tronçais, Fontainebleau etc..
Numbers at a glance!
In 2026 the cooperage employs around 30 people and produces barrels intended 60% for white wines and 40% for red wines.
On a good year, Damy produces 22,000 new barrels and puncheons per year with annual revenue of around €12 million.
About 35% of production remains in France, while 65% is exported, with the United States as the top market.
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