Altitude Immobilier

22 gastronomy PHILOSOPHY AND VALUES In the Clos de Tsampehro they honour the point of making no compromise on quality. Constantly searching for the best, everything is selected from the most sophisticated on the market; this is why the partners insist on corks being made of real cork and caps made entirely of tin. For some years now, and long before the conversion to organic certification, the Clos de Tsampehro has ensured its products are as environmentally friendly as possible. Their philosophy is that in nature everything works in harmony.  And the cellar's aim is to think of ways to make the best use of resources to create a sustainable and respectful society in the long term. One of their practises is to plant red clover, which has two advantages. Firstly, the clover spreads quickly so it takes over the ground preventing more invasive grasses getting a foothold. In addition, because clover enriches the soil with nitrogen, it is possible to banish synthetic fertilisers and chemical weedkillers. Another technique used by Clos de Tsampehro is to plant cereals and pulses around the vines. When the vine is overloaded with water in spring, the cereals absorb the surplus. The advantage of cereals such as alfalfa, barley and rye is that they help prevent soil erosion. It is then possible to walk on the cereals to create a mulch that will conserve moisture and thereby reduce the amount of irrigation needed in the drier season. Their environmental concerns do not stop at production but also apply to their commercial structure. They use solar panels to produce renewable energy and also recover rainwater so as not to waste what nature provides. They believe that because wine is not a necessity, it is in essence a luxury, it should be vital to make it in a sustainable manner which maintains the balance in the ecosystem. CLOS DE TSAMPEHRO The Clos de Tsampehro is the fruit of the labours of four wine lovers. It all started with a reunion between Joel Briquet, owner of La Romaine winery and Christian Gellerstad, who shares his passion for wine and vines. The pair then teamed up with Vincent Tenud, oenologist (wine scientist) of La Romaine, and Johanna Dayer who is currently studying for her Master of Wine. The Clos de Tsampehro is a separate project, but shares the same site as La Romaine winery. Although the two cellars are at the same place, each still retains its own identity.