Label and certifications
Certified “High Environmental Value” and “Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne”, our domain pays great attention to the respect of biodiversity. Each intervention in our vineyard is carefully thought out with this in mind.
“High Environmental Value” Certification:
This environmental certification is a voluntary approach, accessible to all sectors, built around four themes:
- Biodiversity,
- Phytosanitary strategy,
- Fertilisation management,
- Water resource management.
It is designed according to a logic of progressive certification of the whole enterprise, monitored by independent third party bodies approved by the Ministry of Agriculture.
“Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne” Certification
Sustainable viticulture can be defined as a production system that aims to bring together in a sustainable way the objectives of economic performance, respect for the environment and, more broadly, a response to societal expectations.
The aim is to create and share value while limiting the flow of materials and energy, avoiding the destruction of ecosystems, preserving biodiversity and landscapes and actively fighting climate change.
Very significant progress has been made in these different areas.
It is now a matter of continuing along this path, seeking to combine economic and ecological performance objectives for winegrowing operations.
The certification is based on various axes: controlling the use of inputs to respect health and the environment, preserving and enhancing the land, the biodiversity and the wine-growing landscapes, responsibly managing water, effluents, by-products and waste, reducing the sector’s energy dependency and carbon footprint.
Certification can only be obtained if the gaps between actual practices and the requirements imposed by the standard (125 points) are limited.
Actions set up to promote biodiversity in our vineyards :
Abandoning herbicides and insecticides and reducing inputs to their strict minimum: Since 2012, no more herbicides, insecticides or acaricides are used in our plots. Moreover, the fight against cryptogamic diseases is essentially done with products of natural origin (copper and sulphur) and biocontrol products. We use synthetic products only very occasionally or when the harvest is really threatened. 10% of our vineyard is also managed with organic viticulture (without certification) on a trial basis.
Interest : Maintain controlled grassing in our vineyards and refusing overly destructive interventions and thus favour the diversity of flora and fauna.
Planting of hedges: Some 400m of hedges with various local species have been planted along our vines: hazelnut trees, hornbeam, dogwood, viburnum…
Interest: maintenance of biological diversity, maintaining a “connection” with other ecosystems, erosion control, shelter for vine auxiliaries (birds, insects).
Installation of bird and bat nesting boxes: about thirty bird and bat nesting boxes have been installed in our vineyard.
Interest: to provide nesting sites for birds and bats which, by their diet, will limit the populations of butterflies, leafhoppers, flies… (which can be detrimental to crops).
Planting an orchard : An orchard composed of 7 fruit trees has been replanted near one of our plots with old regional varieties (apple and peach trees).
Interest: maintenance of biological diversity, maintenance of a “connection” with other ecosystems.