Conservation grazing at Fontesteau 

What exactly is conservation grazing?

In short, the practice signifies a return to an ancient agricultural method: a collaboration between people, animals and the land. Pragmatically it refers to the use of domesticated herbivores to manage a natural setting. But what distinguishes it from pastoralism, or mixed farming, is the fact that biodiversity conservation and environmental management are at the forefront of the practice, with production not being the primary goal in this case.

Conservation grazing in practice

At Château Fontesteau it is thanks to our technical director Julien Jonquet that we have been home to a troop of ewes as well as three donkeys since 2016. Beginning with a dozen ewes provided by the Conservatoire des Races d’Aquitaine, the herd has since expanded to 60 animals who help us manage our land and fertilise our soils. The sheep are of the Landaise and Limousine local breeds, best adapted to our terroir, and they manage our land by grazing our vineyards and meadows.

Holistic benefits

The animals bring a vast amount of benefits: in the vine plots, their manure provides large amounts of nutrients to the soil, reducing the need for artificial fertiliser, whilst their wool catches on the wire between the rows of vines and prevents deer - repelled by the smell - from eating the fruit. Following the grazing, the need for tractor and machine work is reduced which not only saves money, but is also better for the environment. Of course, the animals are also an integral part of our team and sources of joy for employees and visitors alike. But most notably, we have been able to witness a surge in the site’s biodiversity over the past couple of years, for example otters in our lake.

Against a backdrop of agroecology

Agroecology at Fontesteau includes a more general commitment towards more environmentally conscious and responsible agricultural practices, harmonising viticulture, ecology, productivity, human activity and biodiversity protection. Reducing machinery usage in turn reduces our carbon footprint, just as reducing our usage of artifical fertiliser and other chemical products benefits the fauna and flora, as well as the health of our employees. Also worth noting is the fact that we use and recycle the water from our lake in a closed circuit for cleaning, among other uses. The entire team is wholeheartedly invested in adapting practices to protect the site’s biodiversity and to insure that our wine represents the sustainable development movement.

All photos by Claude Clin.