One of the growers who owns most of the vineyard parcels behind our house is at it again. She is replacing yet another parcel of old vines. At least I hope that's what she's doing. Many of the parcels that she's had dug up over the past few years are still lying fallow. And here's yet another parcel that she had dug up last week. Shortly after I took this photo, the pile of dug up vine trunks (visible in the center to the left of the orange backhoe) was burned to ashes.
There's another patch of vines just outside our garden gate, about five rows, that was pulled up, too. The vineyard is looking less like a vineyard and more like a construction zone (and a muddy one at that) these days. Remember the ravine? Let's hope for new vines, at least in some of the parcels, next spring!
Let's hope the vineyard owner isn't planning on uprooting all the vines to sell the parcels for development. One of the things I like about France is that they have not allowed cookie cutter suburban housing to take over all the land. In the U.S., it seems as if there is no green respite between the huge shopping and office complexes, the big box parking lots, and oversized suburban houses with tiny lawns, at least on the East Coast.
ReplyDeleteKeeping my fingers crossed for new vines. Is a subdivision a possibility?
ReplyDeleteHoping!
ReplyDeleteSince old vines is a selling point, wonder why, disease? Or their production isn’t enough for what the label’s can sell for.
ReplyDeleteRecently, I read that the French are not drinking as much wine as previous years. Also, the demand for imported french wine is down, also. Perhaps the owner is taking a tax break for undeveloped land until the market improves?
ReplyDeletekiwi, I don't think development is happening. I don't see much, if any, development of vineyard parcels around us. And here where we live, there are no utilities (power, sewer, water, telephone, fiber) among in proximity to the parcels, so development would require quite an investment. Certainly possible, but hopefully not likely.
ReplyDeletemitch, I hope not (see my response to kiwi above).
judy, :)
william, I suspect it's some old vines, some disease, and also changing the variety to conform to the AOP requirements, reducing or eliminating varieties that don't qualify and putting in more that do.
mary, consumption is down, that's for sure. I don't know much about agricultural land taxation. ;)
That’s a relief!
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