Bernard and Florence, non-practising doctors of medicine, have opted for methods of working that respect the environment, banishing the use of weedkillers and keeping chemical treatments to a minimum. Today their daughter, Jessica, has gone further and decided to buy a Percheron draught horse to work in the vineyards.

This is a part of our quality improvement plan, because the soil tends to be pressed down by a tractor and so become impoverished. 

On the other hand, when we work with a draught horse the soil is aerated and helped to regenerate. This work on the vine roots is essential for successful flowering and the ripening of the grapes. In addition, the vine stock is less damaged by the gentle action of the draught horse than by the work of a tractor. 

Vines grown in this way have superior longevity and better express the aromatic potential of the land.

But before that, our young draught horse Ugo has to learn everything. He is going to start his schooling with Jessica, who is passionate about horse riding. The first ploughing sessions will be in the vegetable garden, to give him time to learn to plough in straight lines. Then when he has learnt how to do that, you will be able to see him at work, ploughing between the rows of grape vines.