HOW WE CARE FOR THE VINES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Whilst we always wished to run our vineyard organically for the benefit of the environment and consumers of our wine, we believe that organically grown grapes are capable of producing better wine. The influence of the terroir (the soil, location and micro-climate) is better able to be expressed in the wine itself when the grapes have been grown in a soil which is free of chemical contamination and full of life.
Our vineyard is the highest plot on our side of the valley and is surrounded by trees, so it is ideally located for organic viticulture.
We are currently in the three-year period with ECOCERT as being in conversion to full organic status. (In fact the previous owner, Pierre Quinonero at Domaine de la Garance, cared for the vines organically for many years.) We use no herbicides, pesticides, systemic fungicides or chemical fertilisers.
Weeds and wild flowers are allowed to grow during winter and then controlled by ploughing or mowing between the rows of vines. Weeds are removed from between the vines themselves with a special plough called an intercep. As the very young vines are too fragile to withstand the intercep, weeding is done by hand.
As the vineyard is surrounded by a variety of trees and bands of vegetation, we rely on the ecosystem to control any insects which might pose a threat to the grapes.
Biodynamics
We follow the biodynamic principles of agriculture of Rudolph Steiner. The basic idea is to treat the soil as a living organism. When the soil is healthy, full of worms and micro-organisms it produces healthy vines which are naturally more resistant to disease and pests.
This we achieve by adding to the soil well-composted cow manure in autumn and by applying natural plant teas and preparations to the soil and vines. We work both in the vineyard and in the winery according to the lunar calendar.
The vines are thus robust and healthy and produce low yields of 15 - 25 hectolitres/ Ha, without the need of green harvests. With production at this level there are naturally less disease problems.
© 2010 Mas Gabriel biodynamic and organic French wine, Languedoc, south of France