The airing of the soil and consequently the roots, the penetration of rainwater and the elimination of adventive plants or weeds are essential for optimal plant development.

Vines are lazy and it is necessary to keep a close check on them: some vines try to drain available surface nitrogen with superficial roots. When we plough the soil, these roots are removed and, therefore, the fruit is smaller and much more concentrated.

At the Domaine de Graillefiot, our policy is:

• Surface ploughing: this is a natural way of destroying adventive plants or weeds which may compete with the vines for water during the summer months. This allows us to avoid the use of weed killers. Nevertheless, certain types of adventive plants and weeds are maintained, since they help improve the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil. However, this "selection" process requires many passages through the vines, at specific times of the year, with sophisticated and costly tools.
• Winter grass: every autumn, we sow a row of green fertiliser between the vines which will be cut and ploughed in the following spring. This helps to avoid the effects of erosion which can be very damaging for the surface life of the soil.