The organic crisis is currently penalizing part of the organic sector. But environmental gloom cannot taint the morale of independent winemakers for whom organic farming is becoming a mandatory mode of cultivation.
“The conversion to organic, I will never go back”, David Chateau is a newcomer to the local wine scene. A winemaker by profession, he scoured the vineyards of Burgundy, Bordeaux and even Oregon before changing everything. Before moving on to the other side and becoming a winemaker. And it is in the unknown land of Aspres, not far from Castelnou, that David Chateau launched himself. With 6 hectares of vineyards overlooking the Roussillon plain against the backdrop of the Canigou, David Chateau had no choice but to fall in love with the site. From these old calyx vines, from these Mourvèdre, Grenache and Carignan vines that today make up the Mascareil estate. Exclusively organic.
“It’s not a story of logos, certifications, nobody understands anything anymore. Nor is it selling more. What matters to me in organic viticulture is respecting the environment today and for tomorrow. I want to work cleanly and that is organic farming, working with natural products, limiting impact when fighting disease. So, obviously, it’s difficult, for a large vineyard, it requires resources. For an individual winemaker like me, this takes a lot of effort, sometimes difficult. But at home, from the cellar to the end of the vines, everything is organic”concludes the winemaker.
