Vine protection methods and treatment products must respect the plant, the soil, the surrounding fauna and the environment.

At the Domaine de Graillefiot, our policy is:

Biodynamic farming: under the control of ECOCERT and DEMETER.

A - Plant care during the growing period:

The soil and the vines are improved by means of the application of Biodynamic preparations, produced from vegetable, animal and mineral materials, which respect the cycles of the planets and constellations (horn manure, silica, etc...).

The use of these natural preparations along with nettle liquid manure and medicinal plant preparations allow the vines to develop exceptional properties for self-defence, since they grow in soil which is protected, natural and living.

In the event of high levels of mildew, we use traditional products certified for organic farming: Bordeaux mixture. This is only used in very low doses... (maximum 3kg of copper metal/hectare/year).

It is recognised that the residual copper metal in Bordeaux mixture destroys the soil life at levels of above 4 Kg of copper metal/ hectare/ year.

Biodynamic experts firmly believe in the importance of the life of the soil. For them, it is possible for a plant to protect itself against fungi and other vineyard predators provided that it is grown in a living soil.

Therefore, the objective of Biodynamics is to reduce levels of copper to zero and to avoid the use of any insecticides (not even Roténone which is authorised for organic farming!)

In order to do this, herbal preparations and liquid plant manures are used in very small doses!! The vines are regularly sprayed with herbal preparations every nine days. All of the plants which are used come from the Alps, near Briancon, and are picked by Dominic himself on the most favourable days of the Biodynamic calender.

These herbal preparations are dynamized for one hour just before spraying.

• 2 to 10 grams of dried plant per hectare:
  • herbal preparation of dandelion flower: to reinforce the silica process and improve the resistance of plant tissue against parasites and fungi.
  • herbal preparation of oak bark: to combat all types of plant disease, especially cryptograms.
  • herbal preparation of camomile: the calcium process for eliminating the use of copper.
  • herbal preparation of yarrow: the potash process for eliminating the use of sulphur.
  • herbal preparation of fern: to repel harmful insects.
• 100 grams of dried plant per hectare:
  • decoction of horsetail: one of the best anti-cryptogams for protecting against mildew which comes from the ground.
• 5% in all treatments of Bordeaux mixture:
  • nettle liquid manure: reinforces the plants' defences against parasites.
• 40 Kg per hectare:
  • spraying of powdered clay mixed in half proportion with flower of sulphur to fight against oidium and rot.

B - Winter care during the resting period:

The threat of parasite attacks during the growing period is greatly reduced by the application of a dynamized mixture (during January), made up of whey, cow dung, horsetail, etc... after removal of the vines' bark, which is used by predatory fauna as a winter shelter.