Our first year of operation was the wettest in 10 years, which disrupted the implementation of some of our agro-ecological plans. Nevertheless, we were able to make progress on a number of topics.
Part of the vineyard (10 hectares) was already farmed organically, so we certified it under our name in order to be able to sell our wines with the organic label.
The rest of the vineyard (16 hectares) has been converted to organic farming. The conversion period will run until 2027 at the latest. We've decided to stay the course despite the difficulty of dealing with downy mildew this year with organic treatments (see our post on the 2023 harvest).
On the topic of certification, we obtained our HVE (High Environmental Value) certification. HVE certification focuses on reducing the amount of pesticides used, biodiversity on the farm, and the overall impact of the farm on the environment.
Rather than pitting the HVE and organic certifications against each other, we see them as complementary, since the organic certification focuses solely on avoiding the use of synthetic products, with the main aim of protecting the consumer.
We have set up our own compost which we fed with all the grape stems (the vegetal part of the grape bunch) from the harvest, in addition to domestic organic waste.
Throughout 2023 we maintained and mowed the natural plant cover in the vines, every other row, and prepared the other half of the rows for sowing a selected plant cover (rye, radish, vetch, clover). Unfortunately, heavy rainfall immediately after the harvest prevented us from sowing, so we'll have to wait until spring 2024.
The two main subjects we've been thinking about for implementation in 2024 are rainwater collecting on the cellar roofs, and planting a resistant white grape variety that requires very little treatment.
The Château de Rouffiac team.