How one Champagne house is helping its winegrowers transition to agro-ecology

n December 10, Vranken-Pommery Champagnes, the Avize Viti Campus college and the Seine-Normandy water agency signed a partnership agreement aimed at coordinating a network called Vert Cot'Eau. Its aim is to help winegrowers who deliver their grapes to Vranken-Pommery make progress in their environmental practices. Vranken-Pommery owns and farms 280 hectares in Champagne and buys grapes grown over 1,600 hectares by individual winegrowers. “Our project did not materialise in a very favourable year”, admits Clément Pierlot, cellar master at Vranken-Pommery. “After a very challenging growing season in 2021, it will be more difficult to talk about the environment this winter. But we must move forward and do research to limit machine and copper usage. In 2021, organic winegrowers in Champagne virtually lost their ‘sustainable’ credentials considering the number of passes used”. Vranken-Pommery has recruited Louise Rossignon, an agricultural engineer and winemaker, to head up the network.

Vranken-Pommery has arranged its support for the transition to agro-ecology in three tiers, each with individual and collective objectives. Tier 1 aims to halve the use of carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic (CMR) plant protection products; to reduce the Treatment Frequency Index (TFI) by 30%; and to ensure 50% of farms are certified High Environmental Value (HVE) and Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne (VDC). Tier 2 includes a 40% reduction in the TFI, and 60% of farms certified. Tier 3 will be reached when 20% of estates comply with organic vineyard management techniques.