Biodynamic Wine Growing: Understanding the Vine and Its Rhythms by Jean-Michel Florin

Author:Jean-Michel Florin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Floris Books
Published: 2021-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

Another important aspect of biodiversity management on the wine estate is that of maintaining and increasing the diversity of animals. In cooperation with the LPO (France’s bird conservation society) Thomas began installing a large number of nest boxes on poles at the entrance to each vine row. There are at present around 100 nest boxes at Château d’Esther of which 70 per cent are occupied.

Nest boxes for bats were also made and put in place. Bats are insect-eating mammals and valuable predators of the moths considered vineyard pests such as cutworms and sawflies.

To encourage insects and small creatures, various berry-bearing shrubs and fruit trees (such as peach, pear, apple, apricot, nectarine and various plums) were planted between the vine rows or along the borders. Because the fruit trees currently demand a lot of attention in terms of pruning, the sale of fruit is being considered to supplement income in the short term.

Since 2014 Thomas has one cow on site so as to have an ‘animal presence’ and manure available for compost making. He purchased this organically raised animal from a stockman friend to graze the grass between the rows in winter and early spring. This was a new challenge which meant building a cowshed and having someone available throughout the year to care for it.

Figure 49. The wine cellar in Château d’Esther.

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