In the vineyards

Only perfect grapes give birth to great wines. It has always been like that and there is no other recipe ! All the constituents of the wine come from the soil and the atmosphere around the plant. That’s why, in the Paul Buecher vineyards, everything is done to help the vines to draw these elements.

Dans le vignoble The principal objective of the Paul BUECHER estate is to obtain grapes of perfect ripeness and to express the potential of each terroir. That’s why we have to help our vines to draw elements deep in the soil and avoid excessive yields which would lead to a dilution of the wine.

We draw inspiration from ancient traditions and modern techniques to try to respond to the needs of the plant. But, being conscious that every intervention in the vineyard leaves a mark, whether good or bad, we make sure that all our technical choices are justified. The concern about the respect of nature is essential in the elaboration of high quality products – and a priority in our vineyards.

Working the soils : Every second row is ploughed and worked several times a year. These operations improve the structure of the soil and destroy the superficial roots. The working of the soils makes the decomposition of the organic materials easier and installs a life process.
In the other rows, grass is allowed to grow permanently. This grassy surface prevents erosion on the hillside and creates a healthy competition with the surface roots of the vine, forcing them to explore the soil in depth.
In order not to nourish the vines artificially, we do not use fertilizers. We prefer to spread compost every few years, when the vineyard needs it. At the Paul BUECHER estate, we elaborate our own compost from straw, dung, pomace, etc…
All the operations during the vine’s growth will have a great influence on the harvest. Pruning, removing the undesirable buds and sometimes the unnecessary clusters permit to adjust the yields to our quality requirements : from 30 hl per hectare for some Grand cru plots to 80 hl for the most vigorous parcel of Cremant.
Some treatments are unavoidable to protect the vineyard and guarantee a healthy harvest. We endeavour to apply them at the best moment, using the minimum doses and choosing products that respect the ecosystem.
On the our 30 hectares of vineyard, all the grapes are picked by hand. The harvest period is quite long (5 weeks). This allows us to sort the grapes and harvest each plot of vine at the optimal maturity.