BORDEAUX EMBRACES GREENER VITICULTURE

(TheDrinksBusiness) - Bordeaux is embracing pioneering viticultural and winemaking techniques according to three estates, which have grouped together in order to promote themselves and the region.

Representatives from châteaux Marquis de Terme, Couhins and La Dauphine hosted a dinner in London last week to discuss “innovation and change” in Bordeaux, highlighting the increasing adoption of organic viticulture and GPS technology as well as novel winemaking vessels in the cellar to augment complexity and quality.

Initially, Guillaume Halley, owner of Château de La Dauphine in Fronsac said that his 50-hectare estate had switched entirely to organic vineyard management from last year, including a 3ha experimental biodynamic plot.

Motivation for the change, which forbids the use of synthetic fertilisers or pesticides, is a desire to improve the quality of the wines made at the property, having observed the positive results of organic and biodynamic viticulture on the wines of Bordeaux’s Châteaux Pontet Canet and Fonroque.

“Our aim is to achieve more pure aromas,” Halley said.

He also commented that organic farming techniques would help protect the soils at the estate as well as the health of his vineyard workers, and noted that the number of vineyards making the conversion is increasing, despite the threat of disease in Bordeaux due to its oceanic climate.

“At the moment 7% of Bordeaux estates are organic but 10 years ago that was only 3%… and in 20 to 30 years, I think all of Bordeaux will be organic,” he said.