Rhône: organic farming by handpower!

Hillside viticulture demands exceptional working conditions. And when organic viticulture is added to the mix, the equation becomes even more complex. Two major challenges then arise: managing weeds without chemical herbicides, and controlling diseases with contact fungicides that need to be regularly reapplied. As a result, the hours pile up. On his 3,000 m² plot in the Saint-Joseph area, Julien Cécillon estimates, for example, that he spends between 1,500 and 2,000 hours working per hectare per year, including the harvest.

Added to this physical fatigue is the difficulty of recruiting labor during the green season. It's not uncommon for seasonal workers to give up after just one day. To try and retain them, everyone is setting up measures. Some, like François Villard, a winegrower in Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône, have set up a camp on the estate with all amenities for their teams.

Despite the wear and tear this work generates, commitment remains strong. "By 2024, we were exhausted, but I can't see myself going back to herbicides. When I see the state of my soils, I have no doubts," asserts Camille Goudard. Julien Cécillon's passion remains intact: "Even if it's particularly hard, I only have to look up and it makes me happy. A viticulture of sweat and commitment, against the tide of standardization.

Tools specifically designed for working on hillsides

Faced with sometimes extreme slopes, winegrowers adapt their equipment to the topography of their plots. Winches, brush cutters, pickaxes, crawlers or even backpack sprayers... everything depends on the terrain, the accessibility of the plot and the way the rows have been planted. A winch, for example, cannot be used on sloping plots. Hence the importance, when planting, of thinking about the orientation and alignment of the vines.

This tool occupies a unique place. Heavy, slow, and time-consuming, the winch often remains the only way to access the steepest plots. "It was here fifty years ago, and we're coming back to it today for environmental reasons," notes Camille Goudard. Alongside these traditional techniques, some modern tools have transformed daily life in hillside vineyards. This is the case with the brush cutter, which, at the time, represented a small revolution. "It's a magic tool," summarizes François Villard. Easy to handle, it allows for efficient navigation between the rows.

Other, more recent tools, such as drones, are also starting to appear in discussions. Julien Cécillon is considering them, without making them a priority: "Maybe one day... but for now, they're prohibitively expensive and not yet very effective for all situations." Drones therefore remain a niche technology in this vineyard, but perhaps they will become more widespread one day. In the meantime, the work remains largely a matter of hard work.

Between trial and error and resilience

Faced with the challenges of organic farming on hillsides, there is no one-size-fits-all method. Each winemaker adapts to the slope, the climate, the history of their plots, and the resources available to them. Some treatments are carried out with a tractor, others by hand. Soil cultivation involves, depending on the circumstances, animal traction, a winch, or simply a hoe.

This trial and error is also reflected in the choices made regarding grass cover. While Julien Cécillon and Camille Goudard opt for regular tillage to control the grass, François Villard is taking a different approach. On some of his plots, he has chosen to maintain grass cover and plant sedum, a dense-rooted, low-competition ground cover. This strategy is directly linked to the size of his domaine , forty-five hectares, of which about twenty are on a hillside.

In this context, exchanges are also enriched by experiences from elsewhere. Mountain wine regions, in particular, become sources of inspiration for rethinking practices. In the Valley of Rhône In the northern part of the country, the return to hillside vineyards is relatively recent, and organic farming is booming. Everything remains to be learned, tested, and adjusted. "We're only just beginning to explore soil management," confirms Camille Goudard. Everyone is progressing at their own pace, with their own tools and limitations. It's a viticulture in motion, shaped by the land, the constraints… and a certain idea of ​​resilience.

Cécile DE BLAUWE

Independent journalist