Photo: Tablas Creek.
Sheep and alpaca graze among dormant vines in the Tablas Creek vineyard, Paso Robles, California.
Contemporary consciousness has come to a supremely traditional way of life: winemaking.
Patrick Schmitt writes at the Drinks Business, “Moët Hennessy, Jackson Family Wines and Torres are adopting a ‘regenerative’ approach to viticulture – but what does it involve, and why are these famous producers making the move?
“[The] the main aim of regenerative viticulture is to increase the amount of carbon held in the ground, and to do this, farmers must ditch the tilling, because the best way to destroy carbon in the soil is to turn it.
“In short, disturbing the ground exposes it to UV light, which is an oxidizing force, and breaks down the organic matter in the soil. And a soil with less organic matter is less sponge-like, and less able to absorb and hold water and nutrients. … Tilling the soil also disrupts the soil microbiome, killing the good microbes and insects that help fight pests and diseases. …
“For Justin Howard-Sneyd MW, who, heads up courses on Sustainable and Regenerative Viticulture at the UK’s Dartington Trust, a regenerative approach is vital to reverse the damage done to agricultural soils, and make viticulture sustainable, without detrimental effects on grape quality.
“Speaking last month at the IMW Symposium in Wiesbaden, he told more than 500 attendees at the three-day event that the world has … ‘just 60 harvests left,’ should current rates of soil erosion continue.
“[He said] that the origin of the regenerative movement was the Dust Bowl of the 1930s in the US, where deep ploughing and drought saw the destruction of virgin topsoil in the Great Plains of central North America, forcing tens of thousands to abandon the land. …
“For Justin, a regenerative approach to viticulture carries additional advantages of being applicable to any farming philosophy, with no strict practices, while being ‘science-led.’
‘It is about trying as much as possible to create a complex, balanced, diverse ecosystem of life in the vineyard by working with natural forces.’ …
” ‘If you are organic but plough a lot and use a lot of copper, then you can actually have fairly unhealthy soil.’
“To promote the techniques and benefits of regenerative approaches to wine production, a little over 18 months ago the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation was established. …
“[Justin] mentioned at the symposium that Jackson Family Wines had committed to converting all its vineyards to regenerative techniques by 2030, while Torres was moving towards the approach on more than 500 hectares of organic vineyards, and Moët Hennessy was also adopting the philosophy, most notably at its Provençal property, Château Galoupet. … Concha y Toro is experimenting with regenerative approaches in Chile. …
“The approach can improve soil health, reduce the need for increasingly expensive inputs, be they organic or synthetic fertilizers, as well as create a vineyard that is more resistant to weather extremes – particularly periods of heat and drought. …
“Mimi Casteel [said] that permanent ground cover in her vineyards had kept her soils wetter and therefore cooler during a recent period of extreme heat in Oregon. … Antoine Lespès – who heads up R&D at [Domaine Lafage in Roussillon] – told the Drinks Business in December last year, ‘Because we have a low amount of rainfall, every drop that falls from the sky needs to be cultivated.’
“To ensure this, Lespès said that a permanent ground cover was key for increased infiltration, and a high-level of organic matter was important to retain the moisture. He also said that the ground cover, which can be rolled or mulched, prevents water loss by shading and protecting the soil.
“Other techniques are necessary too, however, from planting to follow the contours on sloping ground to prevent run-off during heavy rainfall, to the use of agroforestry for shade, along with biochar for increased water infiltration and retention, and, finally, a good combination of rootstock and grape variety. …
“But it was also an emphasis on applying regenerative viticulture to large-scale production that was stressed at the IMW Symposium, and particularly by Jamie Goode, who, as the author of Regenerative Viticulture, also spoke on the farming philosophy. …
“ ‘If this approach to farming is going to make big impact, then it’s not just something we want rich people to do on a small vineyard for wines selling for $100 a bottle – it’s also for big farms selling wine at €1 per litre.’ [And it’s] important that wine producers ‘say goodbye to herbicides. … Clear earth is a major problem, not so much the chemicals. It’s the same problem with organic herbicides: nothing is growing there.’
“However, should one leave a permanent ground cover, and ditch the tilling, the plants that sprout in the vineyard do need to be kept in check. … California’s Tablas Creek, which is a pioneer in regenerative viticulture, has a herd of 250 sheep that it successfully uses to keep weeds at bay in its vineyards.”
More at the Drinks Business, here. No paywall.
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