Advancing sustainable viticulture at the regional level: lessons from a Swiss winegrowing landscape

Abstract

Wine producers in Switzerland face the dual challenge of high production costs and increasing competition from inexpensive imported wines. In this context, some winegrowers highlight their environmental commitments to justify premium. However, such initiatives often remain confined to individual wineries, resulting in limited ecological coherence across the broader landscape.

To address this gap, a regional strategy for sustainable viticulture is being implemented in the Yvorne winegrowing area (Vaud, Switzerland). The main objective of the project is to develop, in collaboration with the winegrowers, a more sustainable viticulture approach that enhances biodiversity, maintains soil functions, preserves grape quality, and strengthens the market appeal of wines.

A catalogue of recommended practices was introduced in 2022 to encourage growers to adopt more sustainable methods. This catalogue is updated annually based on winegrower’s feedback and field observations. These recommendations focus on fostering biodiversity, improving soil and water quality, reducing fertilizer use, and promoting more efficient and targeted use of plant-protection products.

Field trials, tailored to local needs, include winter cover crop optimization in inter-rows, low-competition vegetation cover under vines, sustainable management strategies for invasive species (e.g., Erigeron spp.), the use of grape pomace as an organic amendment, promotion of rare species, and assessments of surface waters contamination risks.

After four years, the project has already revealed encouraging outcomes: herbicide use across the vineyard tends to decrease, and the abundance of emblematic plant species such as Calendula arvensis or Orlaya grandiflora is likely increasing. Continuous monitoring of experiments in the coming years will enable us to provide effective solutions to winegrowers and support the ongoing adoption of sustainable practices.

The planned introduction of a certification label will help communicate these efforts and strengthen the identity of Yvorne wines. Ultimately, the knowledge generated through this initiative may position Yvorne as a reference model for sustainable viticulture, offering a model that can be adapted and applied to other winegrowing regions.