Pomerol in Bordeaux is banning the use of chemical weed control. This is the first appellation in France to take this decision. The new rules were adopted on October 21 this year (2021). The new regulations state: “Chemical weed control is prohibited. Weed may be controlled only by mechanical or physical means.“
As early as 2008, Pomerol restricted the use of chemical herbicides, so the decision did not come as a surprise to the chateaux. A prestigious region like Pomerol will probably not have any problems dealing with the extra cost that manual control of the weed entails.
Pomerol is not the first region in Europe, though, to do this. As early as 2018, DOCG Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene (a small part of the bigger Prosecco region) banned the use of glyphosate in its vineyards. Glyphosate is the active substance in most herbicides, for instance, Round-Up. However, to what extent glyphosate is dangerous is under debate.
Read more: Vitisphere.
Travel: Travel to Bordeaux on a wine tour with BKWine.
