First certified TERRA VITIS estate in Blaye
A pioneer of environmentally friendly viticulture, Jean-Michel Baudet leaves nothing to chance: he oversees every detail of his estate's production from grape to glass with rigour and passion.
Thus, the estate was the first certified "sustainable" in the area in 2001, under the Terra Vitis certification, the seal of French vinegrower-winemakers who respect nature, man and wine. Over 15 years ago, Jean-Michel was member of a group of vinegrowers who came together to create Terra Vitis. They were forerunners in integrated viticulture, committed to using eco-friendly techniques.
Since its beginnings the approach has spread through all of the French vineyards. Terra Vitis now has over 500 members, including Château Cheval Blanc (St Emilion Grand Cru Classé) and Château Pape Clément (Pessac Léognan, Grand Cru Classé...). Today the Terra Vitis vineyard area extends to over 11,000 ha (27,170 acres), split into six local branches (Alsace, Beaujolais, bordeaux, Loire, Rhone-Mediterranean and Champagne) covering all major French vineyards.
Terra Vitis has consequently become The national reference in sustainable and integrated viticulture.
Our commitments
Belonging to Terra Vitis means following a set of rules that are specific to vinegrowing. Terra Vitis is a sustainable and integrated approach. We use eco-friendly techniques to craft our wines, avoiding any negative impact on the environment.
To meet these stipulations, we must comply with all the following :
- Respect for the terroir :
The aim of any nutrition and care given to the vines is to preserve the soil as a living entity that can meet the needs of the vines to produce quality grapes. We need to know our land and respect water resources and bio-diversity.
- Protection of the vines and crops :
This requires keen observation of the vines to encourage natural defences and limit any intervention to that which is strictly necessary. Intervention is a last resort, when there is no other solution to guarantee the crop.
- Respect for man :
Terra Vitis’ specifications include a social component. It ensures the protection, safety and training of all the personnel on the estate.
- Innovation and evolution :
To meet this, the specifications are updated yearly. We can anticipate and test new techniques, backed-up by know-how from the entire network.
- Respect for society :
Terra Vitis is committed to an eco-responsible approach, guaranteeing recycling and up-cycling of any waste from the estate.
- Respect for the consumer :
The scrupulous nature of the approach is shown by the fact that we have to make a record of each and every undertaking. Any intervention must be justified. An independent organisation monitors each stage of production – from the vine to the glass – to ensure total transparency to the consumer.
To conclude, Terra Vitis has been recognised as environmentally friendly certification by the French Ministry of Agriculture.
