The only wine co-operative in the Auvergne, Cave Saint-Verny, takes its name from Saint Verny, who was adopted as the patron saint of vignerons in 1624 and whose image can still be seen throughout the Auvergne. For the past decade, resident oenologist, Olivier Mignard, has instigated a rigorous assessment of all of the 200 hecatres of vineyards under his control (effectively half of the wines produced in the appellation) to ensure that all parcels have a predetermined place within the co-operative's range of wines. The cellar takes in grapes from 53 communes throughout the département, and has 115 adhérents, resulting in an average holding of less than 2ha per member; a factor in understanding why more than half of the crop is still harvested by hand.