A viticulture more respectful of nature, its flora and fauna.

Organic, HVE, VdC… These labels and more have burst onto the Champagne wine growing landscape in recent years. My late grandfather would have been lost among all these new acronyms, as would many of our dear readers.

These acronyms are nothing less than recognition that growers are aware of, and responsible for, growing techniques which respect nature and its flora and fauna. Coming into force relatively recently, all of these labels enforce stringent sets of technical specifications.

Our family did not wait for these standards to start caring for our vines and our environment, however. From the mid-1990’s, we have been bringing in consultants to help us reduce our use of products to the bare minimum needed to keep our vines healthy. At the time, many thought we were eccentrics. Twenty years on, it was clear that we were at the avant-garde. The journey has been long with many mistakes made, but we now have a great deal of experience and expertise in the field.

*The Bio (organic) label was created in 1985 in France, and in 2009 was aligned with the criteria in the European organic label. It is characterised by the rejection of synthetic products.

VDC stands for Viticulture Durable de Champagne, or Sustainable Growing in Champagne. This standard was implemented by the inter-professional board of Champagne producers, specifically for our local growing methods. It was based around 3 core principles: protecting biodiversity, managing water resources, and reducing our carbon footprint.

HVE means Haute Valeur Environnementale, or High Environmental Value. This certification was created following the Grenelle environmental conference in 2007 (in France) and implemented in 2014. The certification covers three levels (1, 2, and 3, with 3 being the strictest). The certification covers four principles: plant treatment, the preservation of biodiversity, fertiliser management, and management of our water resources.