Working the soil remains deliberately traditional, even though it is largely carried out by modern high tractors and high performance equipment. Our four stages of ploughing are a time-honoured practice which we perform every growing season : a first plough to make a furrow in the middle of the row and cover the bases of the vine plants. The second one uncovers the bases again and covers the furrow. The two stages are then repeated. It is a fact that our soils, which are on the whole light and well structured thanks to the adding of manure, make it easy for us to carry out a superficial ploughing.

A more curious practice is the traditional «tirer les cavaillons», which we continue to carry out by hand. This is to pull back the thin ridge of soil left around each vine plant by the ploughs.

Apart from the obvious advantage of ensuring perfectly weed-free soil without using weedkillers, this work, which today has been made more efficient by specially-designed ploughs, called « décavailloneuses », is still done on piece-work by the women in the vineyards. We place great value on this traditional system of paying people according to the work they do. It increases the responsibility of the vineyard workers, making each of them into their own little boss with the freedom to manage their work as they like. This way of working will not continue to flourish though, if it doesn't offer much higher pay, as just rewards for higher quality work. Man's interests merge together with what is important for the vine. It is impossible to talk about vines without telling the story of man's inextricable relationship with them.