The philosophy
An eco-responsible domain
Sustainable development is a bit of Rocheville’s DNA. Since its creation, we have been looking for the deep expression of the Chenin and Cabernet Franc grape varieties, taking care to respect the vine and its environment, but also the health of our employees and that of the consumers of our wines.
Working in the vineyards
In the plots, an eco-responsible and as little intervention as possible vineyard management was immediately imposed, based on the conviction that the land does not belong to us, and that we wish to leave something behind for the future generations.
Thus, the soil is mechanically worked between the vines and grassed between the rows so as to encourage the plant to plunge into the tufa stone / limestone: its vigour and natural protection against diseases are thus strengthened.
Meticulous manual work is undertaken: short pruning to limit yields, disbudding, leaf thinning, green harvesting and then manual harvesting. The aim of these operations is twofold: to provide the bunches with the healthiest possible environment for them to blossom and to promote the concentration and quality of the grapes to obtain the best possible juice.
From the very beginning of the adventure, Philippe PORCHÉ and Jérôme CALLET decided, by mutual agreement, to renounce all treatment of the vines. Now, to avoid disease, what better auxiliary than nature itself?
Several measures have been adopted to help the vine defend itself naturally against aggression. To encourage biodiversity and the development of insects allied to the winegrower, such as the insect the Chrysope for example, hedges have been replanted along the edges of the plots and roses are planted at the end of the rows.
In the same way, grassing the vineyard limits erosion and creates a favourable environment for the development of spontaneous flora as well as a habitat for fauna and invertebrates. And these are just a few examples of how we pamper our vines so that they give the best.
Our eco-responsible winery?
What is an eco-responsible winery? Philippe PORCHÉ has built his winery according to his eco-responsible philosophy, in line with the work carried out in the vineyards. In other words, the building was designed with sustainable development in mind, aiming to limit its environmental impact, both architecturally and in terms of the choice of materials and energy management. These aspects are detailed during guided tours of the estate, as are the particularities of organic vine management.
Handcrafted winemaking
Sustainable viticulture labels
Over the years, the need to formalise our eco-responsible philosophy has been felt and the Domaine de Rocheville is now certified Terra Vitis since 2011 and Organic Agriculture since September 2019.
Terra Vitis
Terra Vitis is a French certification of sustainable and integrated viticulture created in 1998 by Beaujolais winegrowers. It validates an “eco-responsible approach from the vineyard to the bottle”. The specifications, which are very comprehensive, cover the protection of the vine, air, water, and soil, as well as biodiversity, human health, and waste management.
As far as the Domaine de Rocheville is concerned, it received approval in 2011 without a probationary period as the Terra Vitis principles had already been applied for years.
The Terra Vitis approach is reflected in numerous actions, such as the grassing of the vineyard, the installation of blue tits nesting boxes to naturally fight against vine pests or the choice of recyclable cardboard for the packaging boxes…
Organic Agriculture
Until 2012, the AB regulation only applied to vine growing, hence the more consistent choice of Terra Vitis certification for Rocheville.
Since the European regulation has in the meantime been extended to winemaking, Domaine de Rocheville began its conversion to Organic Agriculture in 2016 and since September 2019 it has been AB certified and produces organic Loire wines.
In Organic Agriculture, the use of synthetic chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, fertilisers) is prohibited, and all raw materials must come from Organic Agriculture.
These principles had already been applied at Rocheville for a long time, so the main change has been mechanical weeding.
Beyond labels and certifications, our main objective is to produce quality wines that respect our planet and guarantee you maximum pleasure!
