17 years now.
When Sophie and I decided to convert our vines, close to 10 hectares, to organic farming in 2009, we did not really know what we were getting into.
A neighbouring winegrower, well ahead of us on the subject, finished convincing us at the start of that year. And then there had been those moments of stress we did not quite own up to. My son Jean, then 3 years old, dragging his toys and his wanderings too close to my sprayer while I was in the washing-down phase. My daughter Marie, on all fours, also too close to the rinsing water.
"Jean! Don't come too close to the tractor…"
"Sophie! Come quickly and get Marie…"
Why convert the estate in 2009?
Producing quality wines while showing more respect for the soil, the environment and the health of those who work on the estate, like our dear Manu, with us for nearly 20 years: that was, and still is, a fine project.
Today, 14 years after obtaining certification, I remain convinced this was the right choice. At least on the protection side: protecting people, wildlife, plant life, watercourses, groundwater. Biodiversity, in short, which is part of our life.
The technical challenges in all that? Many, and demanding. Costly too.
Challenge no. 1: protecting the vine without synthetic chemistry
In a region like Bordeaux, with its relatively damp oceanic climate, fungal diseases are a permanent threat. Downy mildew, powdery mildew and black rot can cause considerable damage as soon as the weather suits them.
Which treatments are allowed in organic viticulture?
In organic farming, synthetic herbicides and fungicides are banned. Protecting the vine relies mainly on copper and sulphur, sometimes on plant infusions, and above all on daily, very careful observation of the plots.
That constraint calls for a constant presence in the vines. Every spell of rain can change the level of risk and demand a quick intervention. On an estate of this size the workload is heavy, especially in spring and early summer. Years of high disease pressure, marked by repeated rain, become extremely stressful: a mistake in timing or a few days' delay can weigh heavily on the harvest.
So Manu is on call almost permanently as soon as a treatment is needed, whatever the day of the week, between April and July. Before and after that period the work is more regular and copes better with being pushed back a few hours.
Challenge no. 2: working the soil without weedkiller
For us this point was not that complicated: we were already used to it. On the other hand, no more weedkiller available today if we get overtaken.
Organic farming bans synthetic herbicides, which means mechanical methods to control grass cover. The approach has real advantages: it encourages biological life in the soil, improves its structure and limits certain kinds of pollution. But it calls for more passes and specific equipment.
For a small estate, investing in soil-working equipment is a significant cost. Mechanical work takes time and precision, with a risk of damaging the vine stocks, particularly on young plantings. And when the weather is against you and the windows for working shrink, the organisation becomes a real headache.
Challenge no. 3: keeping sulphur under control in the wines
Here, at Mille Roses, as with the soil work, adapting was a breeze.
Does organic wine contain less sulphur?
Yes. The organic specification requires around a third less sulphur (SO2) than conventional wines. At Mille Roses we go down to about half as much, or even less depending on the vintage.
How? The acidity of our wines, which brings a major tension to the balance on the palate, makes it possible to reduce sulphur doses when it is high enough. So does the tannic structure. Freshness and structure: that is rather our DNA.
Challenge no. 4: the economic equation
Certification generates extra costs: inspections, paperwork, more demanding growing practices. At the same time, yields are more variable than in conventional farming, especially in years of high disease pressure.
For an estate of 9.45 hectares, every hectolitre lost weighs directly on profitability. Moving to organic therefore calls for rigorous management and a long-term view. Ideally the extra cost is offset by a better valuation of the wines, but the market does not always guarantee that recognition.
That said, Sophie and I never went organic for the money. Let us be honest: it is our chance to sell wines with high added value, but above all there is a question of honesty. Honesty towards nature, and towards what we hope to pass on to our children. Pride, too, in not having chosen the comfort of a chemistry that is devastating for the environment, because that is exactly what it is.
Climate change is reshuffling the cards
The climate makes all of this harder still. Extreme events are multiplying: summer droughts, heatwaves, late frosts, intense rainfall. Yet organic viticulture rests largely on natural balances and on observing living things, and those balances are increasingly disturbed.
It is astonishing to see how, here in Bordeaux, heavy humidity combined with very high temperatures sometimes gives the impression of a tropical climate, especially in recent years. Since 2018 we have known exactly what downy mildew can do to our vines and to our wallets.
Organic certification should not be idealised for all that. It is a demanding commitment, which calls for rigour, investment and a real capacity to adapt.
And what about the carbon footprint?
It has perhaps become as important, in the news and in people's concerns, as the chemistry that overran us and slowly destroyed our ecosystems.
So, mea culpa: the carbon footprint of an operation like ours has no doubt grown heavier because of our choice to work the vines and make the wine according to the organic specification. Our next step will inevitably lead us to use our tractors less, or to invest in electric machines to move away from fossil fuels. And why not look towards biofuels. Unfortunately, on the technological and agricultural side, almost everything remains to be done.
I would already like to be able to say that we have made progress on this subject.
But you may know this: an unprecedented economic crisis is tearing through our wine economies. As a result, the capacity to invest, and even the idea of investing, are under strain. Money is very much part of the equation. Without a sound economy, there is no organic farming.
Financial means are often at the heart of anyone's ability to behave virtuously. Next time you hold an organic bottle in your hands, you will know a little better what lies behind it.
