Environment : Volnay Set an example!

Issue number 170 of Bourgogne Aujourd'hui is currently on sale. Below you will find the "text event" article dedicated to... Volnay , appellation of the Coast Beaune where chemical herbicides will soon be banned in Premier Cru vineyards. Subscribe today to receive our issue number 169 in early February 2023.

Volnay and its vineyard, which includes approximately 110 hectares of Premier Cru vineyards.

They voted! Gathered in general assembly at the beginning of this year, about fifty winegrowers from the ODG (Management Body) Volnay , in Côte de Beaune voted to ban the use of chemical herbicides in the 110 hectares of Premier Cru vineyards of village ; the time it takes for the specifications of the appellation If the ban is modified, it should be official by the 2025 season at the latest. In 2020, under increasing national and European societal pressure, particularly with the introduction of new buffer zones (ZNTs) near homes, schools, waterways, etc., where treatments are now limited and regulated, winegrowers Volnay had decided to implement this ban on spraying herbicides in Premier Cru vineyards for five years on an experimental basis.

It is possible to implement alternatives to herbicides.

“We wanted to show that we were responsible people, concerned about respecting the environment, and besides, it wasn’t impossible: all the Premier Crus of Volnay are mechanizable and it is therefore possible to implement alternatives to herbicides; the soils of the first growths are poorer, well-drained, and grass grows less there than in the villages and then Volnay is a appellation "Which values ​​its wines well, particularly its Premier Crus, so it was economically feasible without jeopardizing the vineyards. The first three years of experimentation allowed the winemakers to prepare, and it was time to take things to the next level by including the ban in the specifications," explains Thomas Bouley , the current president of the ODG , which places the debate on the terrain of the environment, health and… the reputation of Burgundy.

Dangerous products

“It’s important to understand that these products are dangerous for the environment, for our soils, but it’s also a public health issue. And yet, when we travel far from Burgundy, we’re always reminded of this powerful image of a Burgundian model of terroir-driven viticulture. So, it seemed to us that we could no longer be seen as lauded, envied, and imitated models of expertise in developing vineyard climates and not be exemplary in our own practices,” explains Thomas Bouley After the vintage Pouilly-Fuissé , in the Mâconnais region, which recently chose to ban chemical weed control in the first twenty-two crus it has just obtained (2020 vintage), Volnay It therefore opens a new path; that of a appellation An old winery, founded in September 1937, whose first vintages were recognized long ago, in the 1940s, has decided to voluntarily modify its specifications to meet societal expectations. Who's next?

Text and photograph: Christophe Tupinier

Landmarks Coast of Beaune 100% red wines made from the grape variety pinot noir 220 hectares, including 110 in Premier Cru vineyards (29 classified climats).

Christophe TUPINIER

Publishing Director