Total blitz in Touraine
There is a very good but disturbing post (7th September) on Hervé Lalau's Chroniques Vineuses about the weed police in the Beaujolais. No it isn't April Fool's Day they really do have people from an organisation called Le CIBAS employed by the ODG du Beaujolais (l'Organisme de Défense et de Gestion de l'AOC) employed by the appellation to visit vineyards to check on the state of the weeds. If your vineyard is too weedy then those vines may be declassified and the wines won't have to right to be called Beaujolais etc.
The two photos below were taken in Touraine – two vineyards almost adjacent in the Cher Valley. I presume from Herve's post the vineyard in the top picture would pass – perhaps be highly commended, while the lower one would fail.
Beaujolais approved?
Beaujolais failed?
If my assumption is correct then there are a number of questions to ask:
a) Which of the two vineyards is more healthy?
b) Which has greater biodiversity?
b) Which has greater biodiversity?
c) Which system is more sustainable – la vie durable?
d) Which vineyard has obvious signs of erosion even though the slope is slight?
e) Why do have to look impeccably neat and tidy as though manicured?
e) Why do have to look impeccably neat and tidy as though manicured?
4 comments:
Jim, your point is very well taken.
Still, there is no simple/single answer to any of these questions. It all depends ...
More fundamentally – so to speak – do we need rules and regulations in these matters, and do we need controllers ?
Especially in France - but for the same token in Italy or Greece as well - rules are there to suffer exceptions and generally NOT to be obeyed.
“If you believe in justice
If you believe in freedom
Let a man live his own life
Rules and regulations, who needs them
Throw them out the door, Oh yeah”
(C,S,N &Y, 4 way street album)
I have not been using weed-killers at all since 3 years – 4 on some plots – and last year (exceptionally dry in the Roussillon), my average yield was ... 8 hl/ha ! Yet, a lot of time is devoted getting rid of most unwanted vegetals, and both a large tractor (when feasible) and a smaller caterpillar-thing (Lamborghini’s the brand, posh isn’t it?) are in use.
It makes you think.
On the other hand, I have discovered features unseen on the location for the last 20 years or so: worms, butterflies, wild asparagus, wild lettuce, wandering mullberries and Travelling Wilburys !
Luc ...also byrds and flying burritos.
I would suggest that the weed controllers would be better employed trying to encourage producers to think about biodiversity in their vineyards rather than a monoculture of vines.
A controler’s a controller, Jim.
Bitches don’t breed pussies (mmm, that’s not even certain).
Have you noticed that we – including my not-so-humble self and possibly even you – put the wrong men at the right place ?
A friend of mine had us noticing that most airplane stewards are very handsome indeed, whereas most SNCF (the French Rail) controllers are uggly fellows, by and large. Yet, those air attendants more often than not are gay, while the railway people generally exhibit wandering hands towards their female customers.
Upside down / Boy, you turn me / Inside out ....
Still, there is no simple/single answer to any of these questions. It all depends ...
Luc. There might be the odd question where the answer isn't simple.
However, for example, take biodiversity. It must be apparent that there is substantially more biodiversity in terms of plants, insects etc. in the second vineyard.
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