I believe that grapevines evolved over thousands of years to live at the forest edge. Their roots firmly planted in forest soil in symbiosis with a microbiome dominated by fungi. Their branches climbing up a companion plant, placing the grapes at the top of the tree for all the birds to see.

I believe we will get healthier grapevines by immitating the forest edge in our vineyards. Once the vines ease into the familiar symbiosis with the partners they co-evolved with, the wines will start to express their place of origin more strongly. Over the past few years we have incorporating elements of agroforestry and regenerative agriculture into our farming, but our work has only just begun.

We have been integrating dwarf sheep (Ouessant) in our vineyards all year round. We continue to change our trellis system, one parcel at a time, to make the grapes grow on top and the branches drooping down to one side. This means the sheep can’t reach the sweet grapes, but they can nibble on the branches once they get too long.

By combining sheep grazing and the inverted canopy, which can optimally be sprayed with a drone, we aim to eliminate all driving vehicles in our vineyards. This results in more loose soil and allows us to leave wooden debris as food for the soil microbes in the middle of the rows. The horizontal canopy uses the sunlight more efficiently and is much better at shading the soil. All with the aim of creating a forest like environment on the vineyard floor.

We are planting various fruit and nut trees, as well as bushes and wild roses directly into our parcels. Each tree or bush is selected specifically for the needs of the nearby vines. Examples include using Walnut trees to create more competition for the vines where we have too much humus or using Sea Buckthorn to fix nitrogen where we have too little humus. The trees and bushes provide shade for our sheep as well as food and nesting opportunities for birds and insects.

Our 4.5 hectares of vineyards are located in Aargau in Switzerland.  They are part of a geological formation stretching from the French Jura to Aargau that is dominated by limestone and clay.  We work controlled biodynamically and our work in the cellar is minimalistic.