Domaines Auriol support wine growers as they switch to organic

2017 is probably not a year Domaines Auriol will want to remember. Sales had to be frozen due to a lack of supplies as frost and drought drastically reduced the amount of organic wines available in Languedoc-Roussillon. But out of this ordeal came an extremely positive initiative whereby new impetus was given to the switch-over to organic wine growing through a new five-year contract addressing both technical and commercial issues.

Creating organic and biodynamic vocations

The contract promotes the new ‘CAB’ label (conversion to organic farming), registered by SudVinbio, which identifies wines in the second and third year of conversion. The endorsement, which requires an analytical assessment of agri-chemical residues, aims to raise the profile of the wines that had lost their sales outlets. The principle is that they are bought from the producer at a price close to that of organic wine, implying that clients have to buy into the approach. To persuade them to do so, Claude Vialade has developed a pitch for trade distributors: “By buying these wines, they are guaranteeing a contract and sourcing for years to come”. She also has a selling point for consumers: “By buying this wine, they help winegrowers convert to organic”.