November 16th, 2023

La première certification en agriculture régénérative viticole de France

Regenerative Agriculture 
Here at Château de Nages and Domaine Gassier in Costières de Nîmes, we have adopted a new way of farming called regenerative agriculture. It helps fight climate change by placing ecosystem resilience at the heart of viticulture.

Organic farming was only the first step 
Transitioning to organic farming in 2007 marked an important milestone, but it didn’t fully address the resilience of our vineyards and ecosystems.
With the arrival of Isabel Gassier, fifth generation winemaker, a fresh perspective emerged.
Drawing inspiration from the practices of fellow winemakers in France and by regenerative agriculture abroad, we embarked on our regenerative path while maintaining our organic approach.

What do we expect from Regenerative Viticulture ? 

AUTHENTIC TERROIR WINES.
Regenerative agriculture focuses on soil regeneration. A vibrant soil enhances the resilience of our vines. This approach elevates the sense of place and the quality of our grapes, resulting in wines that vividly express their terroir and embody freshness.

ALIGNING ECOLOGY AND ECONOMY.
Achieving vineyard resilience and fostering ecosystem biodiversity, while improving quality of life at work and profitability – those are the benefits regenerative agriculture brings to us.

CONTRIBUTING AT OUR LEVEL TO CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION.
By improving the structure, biodiversity and water retention of our soils, we contribute to carbon sequestration, improve water quality, and enrich our ecosystems.

How does getting certified “Regenerative Agriculture” serve us ? 
The transition to regenerative agriculture is a challenging one. In order to achieve our goals, we feel that by giving us a clear framework certification helps us to establish, measure and commit to well-defined annual objectives.

And why choose « A Greener World » ?
It is a certification created by a farmers’ association, for farmers offering tailored technical support to meet individual farmer needs. The required transparency extends from the parcel to the bottle, ensuring a certification that covers our entire operation with measurable and quantifiable objectives.

Some examples of our commitments :

For soil regeneration:

• Increase the organic matter content of our soils by 50%.
• Production of 600 tons of our own compost.
• Soil tillage of any kind in less than 40% of our vineyards.

Crop diversification and reforestation :

• Experimenting with mixed fruit farming in one of our plots.
• Planting tree alleys to the north of each of our vineyards.

Creating natural habitats :

• Revitalizing the river that runs through our property by allowing it to return to its natural course.
• Adding 500 meters of native hedges per year.
• At least 20% of our land dedicated to pastures and flowering meadows

Animal integration :

• Continuing to provide seeded, nutrient rich pastures for local shepherds.
• Installing bird boxes every 50 to 60 meters in the vineyards.
• Installation of bat shelters and perches for birds of prey.