Pomerol bans chemical weed control

Megan Mallen, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

In France, Pomerol is the first AOC to totally ban chemical weed control. Apparently, Corsica and Provence are considering the same. Moreover, Bordeaux’s right bank appellation has made tillage and grass cover mandatory for vineyard management. Since 1936, the planting of white grape varieties has been strictly prohibited in Pomerol with Merlot (pictured) being the dominant grape in the AOC.

In other news, France has launched an unprecedented year-long study in six wine-growing regions to determine if people living near vineyards are at greater risk of exposure to pesticides. Among the pesticides that will be tracked are glyphosates, folpel and copper, despite the latter being widely used in organic farming. 

Meanwhile, the Sustainable Wine Roundtable wants to define and uphold global sustainability standards but creating a globalized definition and standard for sustainability in wine across all sectors of the industry, from viticulture and winemaking, through packaging and retail, will be no easy task. It's expected to take about 2 years to develop the standards. 

But sustainability just means preserving the status quo. It's much better to improve the soil and biodiversity. Great explanation of regenerative agriculture. 

We might even be able to sell carbon credits. 

Thomas Fire spurs sustainable recovery

The largest wildfire in California history had case closed on the 28th of February.  The final statistics of the Santa Barbara County fire show:

Acres Burned - Containment:	281,893 acres - 100% contained *** CAL FIRE is no longer in Unified Command of the Thomas Fire. Visit inciweb for more information on this incident.
Structures Destroyed:	1,063 Structures Destroyed, 280 Structures Damaged

Already, the rebuilding is beginning, even though some are questioning if that's wise and new mudslides threaten.

But one vineyard is doing something different. They are applying everything they learned during the fires to expand and install sustainable and safe energy systems. Stone Edge Farm Estate Vineyards & Winery, in the Mayacamas Mountains of Sonoma, won an award in January, not for its wines, but for its environmental and economic leadership. The 16-acre property was recently in the news for its microgrid system that held up with remote management during the devastating fires in Northern California. The staff was sent off and managed the entire winery and grid from positions of safety.