Our philosophy
Creating a balanced ecosystem
Moving away from winegrowing as a monoculture
Our aim is to develop sustainable agriculture by creating a balanced ecosystem. As a result, we have around twenty fruit trees offering us pears, quinces, cherries, figs, plums, peaches and apricots throughout the year. We have also installed an insect hotel and replanted native bushes to counter erosion. Displaced stones have been joined together to make a murgier to shelter lizards during the winter.
Organic farming
For several years now, all our treatments have been carried out in accordance with organic farming methods. We no longer use pesticides and herbicides. Synthetic chemicals have been banned. We try to let our vines find their natural balance. That's why we add the natural fertilisers they need.
Natural soil improvers
After the harvest, we spread compost on every other row (alternating from one year to the next). This provides them with organic matter. Compost applied in late spring also acts as a mulch. It will keep the soil moist, which is vital in such a dry, sunny climate on the hillsides of central Valais.
The other row is sown with a green manure or a mixture of indigenous seeds. White grape varieties need more nitrogen in the musts to develop their aromatic potential. For this reason, we sowed 'incarnated' clover.
All our 'waste' is also recycled, as prunings are crushed and spread between the rows of vines. We also spread the grape marc when the fermentations are complete and we decant.
For the red grape varieties, we sow a mixture of indigenous seeds developed with the State of Valais in order to invade the space and prevent weeds or other undesirable plants from developing. They would compete with our vines by taking away their precious water and nutrients. The seeds we have planted, such as fescue and downy brome, have a different cycle to the vines.
Using the resources around us
As part of our sustainable development philosophy, we have installed solar panels on the roof of our gatehouse so that we can be self-sufficient in terms of electricity and use only renewable resources and clean energy.
Projects in development
We are constantly innovating and rethinking our cultivation methods on a daily basis to be the most respectful of our planet and ensure the long-term future of Le Clos.