The AOC Costières de Nîmes is firmly committed to the conservation of the environment and wants to make it known.
” Some titles communicate a lot on this issue without necessarily being more committed than us, says Aurélie Pujol, director of the Costières de Nîmes union. We have decided to adapt our communication to better promote all the actions carried out in favor of the environment and the landscape within our denomination. “
The environmental commitment of the Nîmes appellation is not new. The Costières de Nîmes were therefore the first AOCs to adopt a Landscape and Environment Charter in 2006. In this context, the consortium provided winemakers with a sort of toolbox for enhancing landscapes: restoration of buildings, creation of wine routes, practices to promote biodiversity … Thirty winegrowers actively participated in this process.
Grass, hedges, scree …
The denomination was then involved in the European Life + BioDivine program. Carried out from 2010 to 2014 in seven vineyards in France, Spain and Portugal, this project aimed to encourage management techniques of vital plots favorable to the biodiversity of the vineyard.
In this context, more than twenty winegrowers of the appellation are committed to implementing actions that promote biodiversity: grassing of the inter-rows, planting of hedges, construction of scree and preparation of biological control for interruption of coupling.
Thanks to all this awareness work, the denomination can now show flattering figures: 66% of the surfaces are certified by an environmental label, of which 31 are organic, organic or biodynamic.
Better irrigation control
During the presentation of the results of the 2022 harvest, Bernard Angelras, president of the union, hammered home his desire to continue on this path, unveiling a roadmap mainly oriented towards environmental initiatives. In particular, a reflection was started within the trade union to include Vifa (variety for adaptation) in the disciplinary.
” At the next AG we will present the list of vines resistant to disease or drought that we will propose to experiment for ten years, to introduce the most interesting ones in our disciplinary. »Says Aurélie Pujol.
Another priority objective: the optimization of irrigation practices. Two thirds of the Costières de Nîmes vineyard can be irrigated. The union therefore wants to support winemakers in the best command of irrigation techniques, with the creation of a network of pilot plots to monitor the water needs of the vine as closely as possible and decide the dates and volumes of optimal water for irrigation.
Defend the vineyard threatened by urbanization
Another workhorse: the preservation of production potential. In a context of strong urbanization, the union intends to closely monitor urbanization projects and counter those it considers too waste of space.
This is the case of a quarry project in Beaucaire, which threatens an area of 45 hectares.
” We are actively working against this project which will destroy one of the most beautiful terroirs in the appellation. “Says the director.
Finally, the consortium will continue to support winemakers in implementing practices that are conducive to biodiversity. A practical and operational guide on tree and hedge planting will be produced with recommendations on preferred species. The union has planned to invest € 180,000 over two years (40% of its annual budget) for the implementation of this program.
