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{"source_url": "https://www.forbes.com", "url": "https://www.forbes.com/sites/eshachhabra/2020/12/31/the-famous-champagne-houses-take-on-sustainable-agricultural-for-the-new-year/", "title": "The Famous Champagne Houses Take On Sustainable Agricultural For The New Year", "top_image": "https://thumbor.forbes.com/thumbor/600x315/https%3A%2F%2Fspecials-images.forbesimg.com%2Fimageserve%2F4f937679eb8e4824876ce760a00c3ca0%2F960x0.jpg", "meta_img": "https://thumbor.forbes.com/thumbor/600x315/https%3A%2F%2Fspecials-images.forbesimg.com%2Fimageserve%2F4f937679eb8e4824876ce760a00c3ca0%2F960x0.jpg", "images": ["https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c960d209bdd06fcf47a74ec54e7df20c?s=400&d=mm&r=g", "https://thumbor.forbes.com/thumbor/600x315/https%3A%2F%2Fspecials-images.forbesimg.com%2Fimageserve%2F4f937679eb8e4824876ce760a00c3ca0%2F960x0.jpg", "https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5e0baefbab5be6000762b669/960x0.jpg?fit=scale"], "movies": [], "text": "Known for their famous Cristal, Roederer is spearheading a movement for more sustainable agriculture ... [+] in France's idyllic Champagne region. Roederer\n\nCould the Champagne you choose to drink during this festive season actually do some good beyond just the lovely effects of effervescence?\n\nThe house of Louis Roederer, known for Cristal champagne, has been in business since 1776, and would argue yes. In fact, that glass of bubbly could be part of the broader challenge with climate change and farming. Led by the seventh generation Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Rouzaud, they\u2019re bringing organic and biodynamic Champagne to the forefront by releasing their first organic and biodynamic Champagne, the 2012 vintage of Cristal, in the coming year, 2020.\n\nCurrently, 115 hectares, or half of the Roederer estate, is under organic certification. This includes 100 percent of Cristal, Cristal ros\u00e9, Blanc de Blancs and Nature. The other 115 hectares are all biodynamically farmed. For the last twenty years, Roederer has been deliberately and quietly moving towards organic and biodynamic under the hands of Cellar Master Jean-Baptiste L\u00e9caillon.\n\nBiodynamic farming, a concept heralded by Rudolph Steiner in the 1920s in Europe, puts emphasis on treating the farm as an ecosystem, one that feeds itself rather than relying on external inputs\u2014be it fertilizers, pesticides, or other additives. Instead different elements of the farm are repurposed, either used for composting matter, or as natural pest control; in addition, there\u2019s a reverence for the lunar calendar. It can take longer, produce less yield in the early years, and require more hands-on attention. All of these have been barriers keeping many farmers from venturing down the biodynamic path.\n\nIn 2017, less than 5 percent of the world\u2019s vineyards were certified organic or biodynamic; Europe had the bulk of them \u2014 80 percent. Though the interest for biodynamic farming is now increasing, popularized by The Big Little Farm, a movie about a biodynamic farm in Southern California that\u2019s received acclaim and captured audiences, they are still a minority.\n\nWith a big player like Cristal backing the biodynamic philosophy, this could be part of a broader movement towards more self-sufficient farming and vineyards across the region. Reportedly, less than 2 percent of the vineyards in Champagne are currently biodynamic.\n\nBut with the region\u2019s growing emphasis on sustainable agriculture, more and more wine (or Champagne) makers are thinking about the fundamentals of their operations: repurposing water, harvesting rainwater, investing in bio-based pesticides, and build their own soils organically. One French media story indicated that high levels of glyphosate were identified in the soils \u2014 a byproduct of conventional farming.\n\nNot surprisingly, the fervor for biodynamic and organic farming is coming from the youth:\n\n\"People are more aware of what they drink, probably drinking less but of better quality,\u201d says Le\u0301caillon. \u201c I believe there is a strong desire for truth in this generation. Truth in what they eat and drink...and in what they wear. There is also a question of ethics in the farming that goes beyond the wine, as it does impact all the environment. In the young generation of growers we see more and more people being interested in organic, biodynamic, permaculture, and natural farming movements. But it is slow and you need to be very focused. It is not an easy way!\u201d\n\nIn fact for Roederer, the journey began two decades ago with trials in 2000 that were focused on improving the quality of the grape, not just cut back on the environmental impact. \u201cThe question was: having tasted great biodynamic wines in Burgundy, what could biodynamic bring to the taste of our Champagne?\u201d L\u00e9caillon notes.\n\nOther Champagne houses, located in the picturesque village of \u00c9pernay, did follow suit, including Leclerc Briant and Dom P\u00e9rignon. To truly transform the soils of Champagne, more vineyards will need to consider their cultivation practices and the Champagne houses, which often buy from a variety of farms in the region, could help propel this move.\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t exactly know what is important in biodynamic farming as it is just a tool in the middle of a much bigger picture,\u201d L\u00e9caillon clarifies. \u201cBehind the project of biodynamic farming there is the return to craftsmanship and stewardship of the land that is very exciting and motivating. It\u2019s all about the small details that transform farming into a true and timeless art.\u201d", "keywords": [], "meta_keywords": ["sustainable", "agriculture", "wine", "champagne", "france", "organic", "biodynamic", "demeter", "new year's eve", "new year's day", "cristal"], "tags": [], "authors": ["Esha Chhabra", "I Cover A New Taxonomy That Looks At The Crossroads Of Business", "Impact", "Particularly Brands", "Individuals Who Are Developing Solutions For Social"], "publish_date": "Thu Dec 31 00:00:00 2020", "summary": "", "article_html": "", "meta_description": "Could the Champagne you choose to drink during this festive season actually do some good beyond just the effects of effervescence?", "meta_lang": "en", "meta_favicon": "", "meta_data": {"viewport": "width=device-width,initial-scale=1,minimum-scale=1,maximum-scale=2,user-scalable=yes", "apple-itunes-app": "app-id=588647136", "fb": {"app_id": 123694841080850}, "og": {"site_name": "Forbes", "title": "The Famous Champagne Houses Take On Sustainable Agricultural For The New Year", "image": "https://thumbor.forbes.com/thumbor/600x315/https%3A%2F%2Fspecials-images.forbesimg.com%2Fimageserve%2F4f937679eb8e4824876ce760a00c3ca0%2F960x0.jpg", "updated_time": "2019-12-31T15:30:31-05:00", "url": "https://www.forbes.com/sites/eshachhabra/2020/12/31/the-famous-champagne-houses-take-on-sustainable-agricultural-for-the-new-year/", "description": "Could the Champagne you choose to drink during this festive season actually do some good beyond just the effects of effervescence?", "type": "article"}, "twitter": {"site": "@forbes", "card": "summary_large_image", "title": "The Famous Champagne Houses Take On Sustainable Agricultural For The New Year", "description": "Could the Champagne you choose to drink during this festive season actually do some good beyond just the effects of effervescence?", "image": "https://thumbor.forbes.com/thumbor/600x300/https%3A%2F%2Fspecials-images.forbesimg.com%2Fimageserve%2F4f937679eb8e4824876ce760a00c3ca0%2F960x0.jpg", "creator": "@eshachhabra"}, "description": "Could the Champagne you choose to drink during this festive season actually do some good beyond just the effects of effervescence?", "keywords": "sustainable, agriculture, wine, champagne, france, organic, biodynamic, demeter, new year's eve, new year's day, cristal", "author": "Esha Chhabra", "news_keywords": "sustainable, agriculture, wine, champagne, france, organic, biodynamic, demeter, new year's eve, new year's day, cristal", "article": {"publisher": "https://www.facebook.com/forbes", "author": "Esha Chhabra", "section": "Small Business", "section_url": "https://www.forbes.com/entrepreneurs/", "id": "blogAndPostId/blog/post/2853-5e0baaf29a76ba000646ad36", "published": "2019-12-31", "modified": "2019-12-31"}}, "canonical_link": "https://www.forbes.com/sites/eshachhabra/2020/12/31/the-famous-champagne-houses-take-on-sustainable-agricultural-for-the-new-year/"} |
