Reintroducing biodiversity – it’s already about sustainable winegrowing

The environmental impact of viticulture is a growing concern for Maison Mumm, hence the double certification of its vineyard.

The first: HVE for “High Environmental Value” is a national certification while the second: VDC for “Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne” is, as its name suggests, exclusive to the AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) and therefore to Champagne. It should be noted that the second is more restrictive because it includes requirements specific to the region.

The initiative of the House on the use of herbicides is ahead of that decided by the co-presidents of the Champagne interprofession. It is part of the two objectives defined by the interprofession, these can be summed up in two figures: 0 and 100.

Zero for zero herbicides in 2025 and one hundred for 100% of HVE and VDC certified farms in 2030. In fact, Maison Mumm had set itself the goal of anticipating the certification objective.

Sustainable viticulture requires finding alternatives to pesticides and prioritizing soil work. For example, let’s take the case of grass growing at the foot of the vines. It is common to fight against grass growth for the simple reason that it diverts part of the water intended for the vines. Until 2019, it was customary for the Maison’s winegrowers to use herbicides to fight against grass growth.

Since HVE certification and the abandonment of herbicides, soil maintenance has become exclusively mechanical.

For the needs of mechanical weeding, the House has invested in a startup that is developing an autonomous weeding robot, already used by winegrowers. When weeding, winegrowers take care to preserve a strip of grass under the vine, in order to recreate biodiversity in the soil.

Still with a view to acting in compliance with the VDC certification, Maison Mumm has taken the initiative to favor the construction of dry stone walls and the planting of hedges at a rate of 1 km per year. This measure favors the reintroduction of biodiversity because it offers a natural habitat, necessary for the return of endemic fauna including certain insects typical of the region. This reintroduction also involves planting trees near the vines.

Sustainable viticulture also and above all includes working in the vineyard, experts regularly visit the site and advise winegrowers on its maintenance. Their advice is not limited to the vineyard but also concerns the surrounding vegetation: from mowing the grass to pruning the trees.
Finally, the issue of water resource management is also addressed by the House: now only naturally collected rainwater is used to prepare vine treatments.

Stéphane Varet, the House’s Director of Supplies and Vineyards, sums up the initiatives undertaken by the House in these words: “it is not a question of taking care of the vines exclusively but also of the terroir.”