The Fruitière Vinicole d’Arbois was one of the very first cooperative wineries to be established in France. It was founded on 4 January 1906, at the instigation of 26 wine-growers from Arbois, in the wake of the phylloxera blight, when the aphid-like pest nearly wiped out French vines. The project was initiated for the purpose of resisting competition from inferior wines without designated origins. Determined to offer consumers the best of the wines of the Jura region, the cooperative chose to remunerate its vintners based on the quality of the grapes they supplied, by carrying out a strict selection. This collective approach of the pursuit of excellence contributed to Arbois wines being attributed the very first French AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée). The AOC Arbois was followed by the AOC Côtes du Jura.