The estate
- A GAEC (collective farming alliance) founded in 1985 by three brothers and sisters - Jean Etienne, Antoine and Marie Florence, representing the 7th generation of a winegrowing family, who have chosen to uphold tradition and elected to farm their vineyard biodynamically in 2002.
- Estate spanning 14ha (8.5 ha of Chardonnay, 2 ha of Trousseau, 2 ha of Savagnin, 1 ha of Pinot Noir, 0.5 ha of Poulsard) part of which is on a hillside
- 60,000 bottles produced per year
- Sales: 25 % sold direct to customers, 40% exported, the rest sold through wine shops and restaurants
Innovations
- Vineyard converted to biodynamic methods in 1988
- Vineyard grown biodynamically and certified by DEMETER since 2003
- Vines treated with biodynamic preparations (cow horn manure and horn silica)
- Conducted tests to compare organic and biodynamic farming to observe the effects of biodynamic preparations
- Use of lightweight equipment for treatment and spraying to prevent soil compaction
- Introduction in 2019 of drone spraying for the least accessible parts of the vineyard during rainy years
Observed results
- Improvement in soil structure and composition
- Reduction in fuel consumption due to lighter machinery
- Stronger vines and better distribution of foliage thanks to silica treatment
- The drone spraying project enables the least accessible parts of the hillside to be reached, makes work easier, reduces soil compaction and allows for treatment to be carried out even if the ground is impossible to walk or drive on.
Find out more at: www.domaine-pignier.com
Profile written by AgrOnov, the agroecology innovation hub, in partnership with the Jura Chamber of Agriculture