The season is marked by the arrival of two new people at the domain of Donadille, the operation of the agricultural campus of Nîmes-Rodilhan. Silvère Laroche is the new manager of the estate, in charge of managing the vines, other crops and winemaking. He was appointed to this post after obtaining his agricultural engineering diploma from Montpellier SupAgro and his national oenologist diploma from the University of Montpellier.
Familiar with Gardening viticulture for four years, after international experiences in New Zealand and Argentina, he wishes “assert the educational dimension of exploitation and orient it towards resilience towards climate change”.
“A plot of Mediterranean grape varieties has been planted in order to identify those capable of withstanding drought or heat waves. Other projects are under study, notably agro-photovoltaics and precision irrigation”, he specifies. The partnership with the IFV (French Institute of Vine and Wine) for the search for alternatives to phytosanitary products will also be strengthened.
An organic wine without suffering
In addition, the cellar of the Domaine de Donadille is getting a makeover. With ten years of experience in cellars in the Rhône valley, Marjorie Allemand, the new manager, wants to breathe new life into them. “We want to revitalize the cellar by offering our products and those of agricultural schools in Occitanie. And we have set up a pre-order by internet to be collected on site”, she explains. A momentum of dynamism is taking place.
An organic sulfur-free wine will enrich the flagship vintages such as the Mention B, the 2020 vintage of which obtained a gold medal and the Viognier a bronze medal in the Nîmes wine competition. The estate will participate in competitions including that of the wines of Nîmes and the agricultural general of Paris. As an agricultural establishment, learners are involved in all stages, from the plot to the bottle.
The next wine fair organized by a class of BTSA viticulture oenology will take place on Friday 3 and Saturday 4 December.
Free Midi Correspondent: 06 33 29 86 07
–
