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?
