Oé! With climate change, things aren't always rosy for the vine... It is subject to droughts, to repeated rain showers, more or less heavy. In short, to a slightly broken thermometer, and this has a direct impact on the quality of the soils. To preserve and control the quality and presence of water in the soil, the embankments, the channels and the ditches are effective allies. Here we go for a little explanation!
The different embankments and their roles in the vineyard
An embankment is a sloped surface of earth or stone on a piece of land. In the wine-growing environment we find 3 types of embankments:
- The embankments perpendicular to the slope, they mark the break in the slope.
- The embankments parallel to the slope, which are mainly located between two plots, are often created from the stones and earth of the surrounding plots.
- And finally the embankments that form ditches downstream of the plots.
The typical plants of the embankments are the Cardoon, the Aristolochia, the Large Oregano, the White Snapdragon, and many other rather wacky names. Embankments have several advantages for the vine. They allow runoff water to infiltrate and are favorable to the development of a varied fauna. When they are high, they serve as a windbreak to protect the vines, allow avoiding landslides and soil erosion thanks to their roots which give structure to the earth.
Maintaining the embankments so they are useful for the vine
Maintenance varies depending on the slope. If the slope is gentle, you must let nature develop and especially the shrubby plants that end up creating small hedges. If the slope is steep, winegrowers must refer to the techniques of building dry stone walls. These techniques consist of assembling without using any binding mortar, and therefore only slabs, blocks, stones.
Many insects, small birds and mammals appreciate this habitat to take refuge and to find food. And they are the ones who benefit the vine and the agricultural plots since they contribute to developing a rich and diversified ecosystem.
The ditches and drainage channels
Ditches and drainage channels are linear holes dug in the ground, to circulate and drain water. They have a primary role, for the recovery and filtration of runoff water. Their power also lies in their vegetation. To maintain the ditches and drainage channels you must forget concreting, and the waterproofing of the soils. If the ditch is already concreted you must extend it, and let vegetation grow. Finally, environmentally conscious winegrowers and farmers generally leave uncultivated and vegetated spaces, which absorb any water overflows. At most of our Oé winegrowers, the land “rests” between two vintages: it is in fallow. Around the plots, they leave enough space so that hedges and isolated trees grow freely to protect the vine from surrounding crops and bad weather. The main thing is to leave enough space so as not to shade the grapes which need sun to become full of sugar (which will be useful during fermentation) and avoid developing diseases like downy mildew during heavy rains, or other fungi.
