Summer 2021 marks a turning point for Château Luchey Halde! With its unceasing quest to be a role model, the estate now invites visitors to discover its environmental approach to managing this urban vineyard.

Located south of Bordeaux in Pessac-Leognan, a terroir with incredible potential, the property underwent a genuine revival in 1999. The land had served as a military training camp for decades, protecting it from urbanisation, before being taken over by Bordeaux Sciences Agro. Its new owners – one of France’s top viticulture and oenology colleges – transformed the property into a laboratory where they are laying the groundwork for the agriculture of tomorrow.

This commitment is based on three priority areas: first, encouraging sustainable development through practices that are environmentally friendly and economically viable. Secondly, setting up an agro-ecological programme based on innovation and research. And third, transmitting their know-how by hosting numerous trainees and opening the estate to the public with an enchanting new tour from April to September.

The visit begins with a walk among the vines and a presentation on the different agro-ecological infrastructures in the vineyard (beehives, a wooded area, hedgerows, bat-nesting boxes, etc.) and the key actions that have been devised to cut back on the use of plant protection products. The tour continues with an exploration of the cellar, where the emphasis is on initiatives designed to promote sustainable development (measures for driving down water and electricity consumption, reducing inputs, etc.). And, to conclude on a delicious high, you can enjoy tasting three wines and honey products.

Remember, too, that since 2016 the vineyard has been HVE (High Environmental Value) certified, a label awarded by the French Ministry of Agriculture. This certification reinforces the estate’s commitment to reducing the impact of their activities on the environment… but that's not all! Château Luchey Halde is also a member of the pilot group of the Bordeaux Cultivons Demain (“Bordeaux – Let's Grow Tomorrow”) approach launched in May 2021, which aims to give a seal of approval to the commitment of actors in the wine industry in terms of corporate social responsibility.

The property doesn’t intend to stop there: its latest ideas to date include an urban subsistence agriculture project for local collective catering!