““Bees need a flourishing ecosystem to thrive. They could never survive the cocktail of chemicals often used in modern viticulture, hence the global Colony Collapse Disorder that is decimating their population. The health and vigor of the beehives at Chêne Bleu, notwithstanding the delicious natural honey they produce, are a barometer of the success of our efforts to promote natural and biodynamic viticulture on our estate.””
SUSTAINA-BEE-LITY
To create an ecologically sustainable vineyard, we have become increasingly convinced of the importance of a strong bee-oriented ecosystem to protect it. We think of the vineyard as a living system. Vines may self-pollinate, but there is a whole living and breathing ecosystem that sustains them. We started to suspect that the best way to reduce or eliminate the use of destructive chemicals would be by strengthening the soil – and therefore the vines – by augmenting biodiversity in the vineyard. To do that, it was absolutely vital to encourage the propagation of cross-pollinating plants and wildflowers in our cover crops.
This is where the bees come in. Bees need a flourishing ecosystem to thrive. They could never survive the cocktail of chemicals often used in modern viticulture, hence the global Colony Collapse Disorder that is decimating their population. We reached out to our local and international community through a crowdfunding campaign on WineFunding.com to explain our intention of sponsoring research to prove the link between the quantity of happy bees and the quality of fine wine: bring in bees to cross-pollinate the cover crops so they proliferate. They in turn house more microorganisms, that in turn process the terroir, nourish the vines and transmit the sense of place.
The vote of confidence was very touching and the crowdfunding was enthusiastically oversubscribed. The health and vigor of the beehives at La Verrière – notwithstanding the delicious natural honey they produce – are today a barometer of the success of our efforts to promote natural and biodynamic viticulture on our estate. For more information on our crowdfunding initiative, please click the button below:
To find out more about our work and see it for yourself, book a guided SustainaBEElity tour by clicking below.
If you’re a winemaker wishing to collaborate on this exciting project, please get in touch! We’d love to hear from you!
OTHER INITIATIVES AND ‘CHÊNE’ (RE)ACTIONS
At Chêne Bleu we work hard to create a respectful working environment with family employees and partners in the wine community, the local community, the international community of wine enthusiasts and other environmentally-aware entities and individuals.
We are committed to strong teamwork and take pride in our respectful and constructive human resource management, organising, for example, large old-fashioned traditional lunches every day during the harvest to foster ‘esprit de corps’.
We collaborate with forest authorities to reconcile farming and forest management, as certified PEFC forest management partners.
Our public-private partnership with the SMAEMV biologists of the UNESCO Mt Ventoux Biosphere, and Avignon University, results in mutually beneficial scientific exchanges.
To offset the physical isolation of ‘Planet Chêne Bleu’, we reach out regularly to entities such as the Office de Tourisme de Vaison-la-Romaine, working closely with local artists and community to advance the region’s environment. For example participating in the international ‘Vaison Danse’ festival , during which a few performances and photo exhibitions are organised at the property, including in the vineyard.
We are extremely involved with charitable causes and have donated in contributions and in kind to over 20 causes, including: Climb for Freedom (against human trafficking), Institute of French Culture, Medecins sans Frontières, KIDS, Oxford Literary Festival, Global Heritage Fund, and The Yale College Fund in order to allow an economically disadvantaged student to attend this top university.
Nicole has recently been invited to join the Yale Sustainable Food Programme Stewardship Council. Through this we hope to be able to access valuable research and contribute findings related to the role of bees in sustainable viticulture.
Every year we invite students from the local public school in Crestet for a day of outdoor activities and nature discovery at La Verrière - in particular they learn about the important role of bees in nature.
We support the local Rotary Club and Lion’s Club by donating to their annual auction events.
