While our focus here is on wine, the philosophy goes for the entire estate and the way we live and work here.
We cultivate our own fruit and vegetables organically. The orchard that Mr. Sauger, the previous owner, left us as one of his many legacies (including a dazzling array of perennial flowers throughout the estate) contains a myriad of trees: apple, pear, plum, peach, cherry, quince, walnut…. We grow strawberries, raspberries, black and redcurrants and the hedgerows are filled with wild blackberries. In the vegetable garden, we grow heirloom tomatoes, string beans, cabbage, potatoes, lettuce, zucchini, squash, and so on. We have a herb and spice garden as well. All grown organically, fertilized from our own compost.
We preserve our fruit and vegetables so that we can enjoy them year-round. We raise free-range, organic chickens for their eggs and their meat. I also hunt and we don’t waste any of the game, which is about the most organic and healthy meat you can get a hold of!
Not unrelated, we also keep bee-hives. The bees not only provide us with delicious honey but of course also play a key role in the whole Meslerie ecosystem, carrying pollen from flower to flower, plant to plant…. keeping the magic alive.
See also:
In the vineyard – In the cellar – The wine-making facility – The press