The Organic Vineyard Walking Route: See photos and read about the organic walking route we are developing with other winemakers and the Saussignac Syndicat d'Initiative
Nature at Garrigue
For the first time rare orchids are making an appearance in our vines. Three years of working with organic practices & biodiversity is returning. We pick wild fennel, garlic & salads from between the rows. If you are going to drink the wines from these vines we think it should be safe for us to eat under them!
But it's not just for us. Biodiversity means a better environment for all the plants and creatures that share our farm. For us its not just for cute communication, high biodiversity = less disease and far less chance of an insect infestation. A balanced environment means that we have a large and healthy population of the good insects that eat the insects that can cause problems in the vineyard.
_
_
_
Biodynamics and our Biodynamic Potager
There is a lot more information to come in a few weeks so please come back to visit this page again or email us for more info and we'll let you know when this section is updated.
_
_
_
The Organic Vineyard and Wine Route
Just over one hour’s drive from Bordeaux city and forty minutes from St Emilion lies our pocket-sized wine appellation of Saussignac, a commune within the greater Bergerac wine region. Saussignac is a dessert wine appellation famous for its vinous bounty since medieval times when Rabelais, a renowned French writer penned his perspective on it.
Approximately half of the winegrowing members of the Saussignac Producers Union are either organic or in conversion to organic. This sets a stark contrast to the national average for France of less than 3% of wine growers. For locals and tourists seeking a nature friendly vineyard and wine route it presents the ideal place. The producers in the commune of Saussignac also make fine white, rosé and red wines under the greater Bergerac appellation. Along with great wines, a range of excellent accommodation can be found in the area.
The appellation of Saussignac has very rigorous conditions of production in order to create wines of great quality: hand harvesting in several careful passes through the vineyard, no chaptalisation (adding of sugar) and a very high natural sugar content at harvest (even higher than Sauternes). The search for quality, authenticity and expression of the terroir led many winegrowers here to adopt practices that respect the environment.
According to Thierry Daulhiac, winegrower and President of the Saussignac Appellation: ‘I went organic to gain a true expression of my terroir and out of respect for the environment. I am proud to represent an appellation where organic agriculture has so many followers. This organic vineyard route is an occasion people to discover nature and the riches of Saussignac, her people, landscape, architecture and wines.’
The dynamic team of the Saussignac Tourist office with the help of the Conseil Generale of the Dordogne have developed a selection of walking routes which total 55 kilometres across four communes by the AOC Saussignac. These walking routes are exceptional in their beauty and diversity. The routes offer breathtaking views over the Dordogne Valley and a varied landscape of vines, woods and meadows. They are also rich in architecture with an array of noteworthy castles, towers and fortresses. The walks are gentle but enchanting thanks to the elevated position above the Dordogne valley of the four communes of Saussignac.
The guides of the Saussignac Tourist Office offer their services to groups every Tuesday morning in the tourist season but the walking routes are open to the public at all times. A guide to the walking routes can be purchased from the tourist office or from the winemakers mentioned at the end of this press release.
On the route meet the passionate winemakers who can explore the themes of organic farming, biodynamic farming and biodiversity with you. Participating winemakers include:
Haut Garrigue: Caroline and Sean Feely
Practical information for tourists:
Saussignac is 1 hour 20 minutes drive from Bordeaux airport (direct flights from Dublin with Aer Lingus and from the UK with various operators) and 15 minutes drive from Bergerac Airport (direct flights from many UK airports and Amsterdam).
Press Contact (all photos on this site are available in high resolution):
Caroline Feely: +33 (0)553 227271 or caroline@wildearthvineyards.com (english)
For more information (on events, the walking route, accommodation or the wines of Saussignac) interested parties can contact:
Caroline Feely: +33 (0)553 227271 or caroline@wildearthvineyards.com (english)
Discover Our Wines | Buy Wine Online - France | Vineyard Share | Frequently Asked Questions
EARL Chateau Haut Garrigue SIRET (company Registration): 48411928400012 TVA Intracommunautaire: FR47484119284 Irish VAT number: 9990816F
Click the text to jump to the section: