Les Jardins Esméraldins: Vineyards
Unsurprisingly Xavier Caillard works with an organic philosophy, with respect for the soil and the local biodiversity. Many of the little plots of vines he took over had been managed using chemical methods for a long time, and they needed a few years to return to a better state of health. Today his vineyards are enherbé, allowing the natural vegetation to grow between the rows rather than the more commonly encountered seeded grass.
All the vineyard work is carried out by hand, including leaf plucking and topping-off the vines. Xavier and his partner Muriel work using a vine-by-vine approach, attending to each vine individually in a work pattern more like gardening than viticulture. Well, it is a jardin esméraldin (emerald garden), after all.
The plots of vines are located in two main areas, as follows.
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