CONVERTING TO ORGANIC: A CHALLENGE IN CHAMPAGNE

If Champagne is the French wine region where the share of estates using organic growing methods is the lowest, then it is because some challenges apply more here than for any other French variety of vine.

Champagne: an international reputation

Champagne is everywhere! Over the years, this precious drink has been able to carve itself a position that gives it pride of place on the world’s greatest tables, at the most coveted evenings, and the most glamorous events. Champagne has a reputation to defend, since its product is synonymous with luxury and when we say “luxury”, we mean impeccable quality! A reputation needs to be maintained and Champagne connoisseurs are most discerning. For the large groups, among others, a switch to organic growing needs to be done slowly, starting with just a few plots. The risk for the big names of Champagne when it comes to disappointing is enormous, although they all acknowledge the increasing need to switch to organic.

Climate

The semi-continental, damp climate means that the vine is very sensitive to disease as well as to the development of fungi. In difficult years, a move to organic may bring about a huge drop in yield. Even in more favorable years, the yield for organic plots is already 20% lower than for conventional growing. A year that is too rainy or too wet, could be fatal to an estate. Although there are natural solutions for treating vines against disease, such as “lime and Bordeaux”; a brilliant mix of sulfur, salt and copper, this is absolutely ineffective after 20 mm of rain. After anything over 20 mm of rain, then the whole treatment needs to be reapplied.

The climate situation is different for certain vineyards in the South of the country. The conditions faced by champagne makers explain – among other things – why they have been slower to make the final leap into organic compared to their associates in the south. The warmth, sun and wind are some of the factors that play an important part in providing vines with natural protection against disease.

Climate change, which has been increasingly felt, has also boosted the switch to organic in Champagne. In fact, general warming as a result of climate change has made it easier for wine growers to abandon the use of chemicals. Since 2020 was a particularly mild year in terms of climate, several growers decided to take the plunge. The fact remains that organic winegrowers need to make frequent checks of the plots of land and react promptly in certain situations.

Higher costs

First of all, the ban on chemicals on these plots of land requires a considerable amount of manual and mechanical work. This involves the wine grower not only investing in machines, but also in labor. In fact, cutting and pruning need to be carried out meticulously to protect the plant as well as to boost exposure to the sun to avoid any rotting.

There is also a minimum time period of six years in Champagne before the estate can present its very first organic vintage. That’s two years more than for other wine growing regions. The reason for this difference is that it takes a minimum of two years’ barrel aging to obtain a good champagne, compared to just a few months for other AOC wines. Once the organic label has been obtained, an average of 30% more needs to be calculated for the final price of the product. That means between 4 and 5 euros more than for conventional vintages. The timeframe for converting to organic can put a good deal of stress on the wine grower. Not only will production yields be lower once the grower stops using chemicals, but it will only be possible to benefit from the higher product prices at the end of this six-year period. The challenges linked to organic wine production, plus the extra costs due to equipment and labor explain the higher cost of vintages with organic certification.