ARTERRA

Alternative farming methods encompass a range of practices designed to cultivate both the vineyard and the wine in harmony with the environment and the living energies that surround it. While they share certain core values with organic and biodynamic viticulture, alternative methods follow a distinct set of specifications and requirements. This independent certification exists to recognize and validate that unique approach.

As part of the certification process, the independent certification company Ocacia conducts a comprehensive annual audit at the domaine. In addition, one unannounced inspection is scheduled during the first five years of certification.

Any major non-compliance results in the immediate suspension of the certification. A maximum of three minor non-compliances is permitted, provided they are fully documented and corrected without delay.

For every control point within the certification framework, we are able to provide documented evidence of the work carried out. Every intervention in the vineyard is carefully recorded in our lunar farming calendar, ensuring complete traceability and transparency.

objectives of the certification

Promote nature-oriented practices by encouraging a new way of understanding and working with living ecosystems.

Embrace practical farming wisdom, guided by observation, experience, and common sense.

Ensure a consistent and holistic approach across every aspect of the estate.

Pursue these commitments with integrity, transparency, and accountability.

Place balance at the heart of every decision and action.

Work with nature to enhance its natural potential, rather than seeking to eliminate or control it.

The alternative methods we apply

The lunar calendar

The phytotherapy

Rainwater collection

Ploughing

Dynamisation / Preparation

The homeopathy

The geobiology

01

the lunar calendar

Waxing and Waning Moon
The waxing and waning phases refer to the increase or decrease in the illuminated portion of the Moon visible from Earth.

From the New Moon to the Full Moon
Plant vitality is believed to increase during this phase. As the Full Moon approaches, plants are thought to develop greater natural resilience to diseases and pests.

From the Full Moon to the New Moon
Plant vitality is believed to decline, while colours, aromas, and flavours are considered to become more pronounced.

Ascending and Descending Moon
The ascending and descending lunar cycle refers to the Moon’s position in the sky as it rises higher or lower over successive days.

Ascending Moon
During this phase, the plant’s internal fluids are believed to rise more readily, resulting in greater sap flow and increased activity in the aerial parts of the plant.

Descending Moon
During this phase, the plant’s internal fluids are believed to move downward more easily, with vegetative activity concentrating primarily in the root system and the soil.

Perigee and Apogee
These terms describe the Moon’s closest and farthest points from the Earth during its orbit.

Lunar Node
A lunar node is the precise moment when the Moon crosses the Earth’s orbital plane (the ecliptic) as it travels around the Earth.

These three lunar events are regarded as periods of energetic disturbance. According to these principles, they are considered unfavourable days for working with living organisms and natural ecosystems.

Tasks Suitable During Unfavourable Lunar Conditions

When lunar conditions are considered unfavourable, the following activities may still be carried out:

  • Shoot positioning
  • Trellising
  • Maintenance of vineyard infrastructure (posts, wires, etc.)
  • Mowing
  • Mechanical work on machinery and equipment
  • Cleaning and maintenance of tools and equipment
  • Bottle dressing and labelling
  • Order preparation and deliveries
  • Spreading bark mulch or other organic materials
  • Tying vines
  • Collecting vineyard clips and staples
  • Gathering and removing pruned canes
  • Marking dead vines for replacement
  • Any other task not included in the list of prohibited activities below.

Activities to Avoid During Unfavourable Lunar Conditions

The following operations should not be carried out when lunar conditions are considered unfavourable:

  • Any direct intervention on wines or Ratafia Champenois: topping up (ouillage), sulphiting, racking, filtration, bottling, pumping, preparation of yeasts and liqueurs, and disgorgement.
  • Mechanical soil cultivation.
  • Shredding of pruned canes.
  • Suckering.
  • Pre-pruning and pruning.
  • Mechanical or manual trimming.
  • Preparation of young vines (root trimming).
  • Removal of vine stocks.
  • Vineyard planting and replanting.
  • Rainwater collection.

Specific Guidelines for Champagne and Ratafia Champenois

Operations such as racking, tirage (bottling for the second fermentation), and disgorgement must be carried out exclusively on Fruit Days or Root Days, and never during lunar node, apogee, or perigee periods.

02

ploughing

Soil is home to more than 25% of all known plant and animal species. The activity of these living organisms plays a fundamental role in maintaining soil fertility, preserving air and water quality, and contributing to carbon sequestration.

Human activities inevitably influence the balance of living ecosystems. Our responsibility is therefore to promote sustainable practices that preserve and enhance this living potential through thoughtful vineyard management, appropriate inputs, and respectful farming methods.

Bare soil is particularly vulnerable to erosion and the loss of organic matter. Maintaining a natural or sown winter cover crop helps improve soil structure, encourages natural soil aeration, and protects its biological activity.

In spring, controlled competition from ground cover is encouraged through the use of mulches, cover crops, non-invasive vegetation, and/or reduced tillage practices that preserve the natural soil horizons.

Managing vegetation during spring—particularly between the 4-leaf and 10-leaf growth stages—is essential. At this period, appropriate ground cover management helps increase the availability of nitrogen in the soil, supporting steady vine growth. Nitrogen directly influences internode development, encouraging balanced canopy growth and improved vegetative distribution.

For this reason, ploughing equipment should be designed to minimise soil compaction while reducing the number of vineyard passes throughout the season.

All machinery must be properly maintained and suited to the size and specific needs of the domaine.

Certification requirements :

To comply with the certification standards, the following criteria must be respected:

  • No more than seven mechanical passes per year are permitted in each vineyard parcel.
  • Protect and enhance soil life and fertility through responsible management of soil erosion, weed competition, vine nutrition (using green manure and/or compost), and water resources.
  • The use of chemical herbicides is strictly prohibited.
  • A soil analysis programme must be implemented, ideally on an annual basis and, at a minimum, once every seven years for each individual vineyard parcel.

03

Rainwater

Water is a limited, vulnerable, and essential natural resource. As part of this approach, the use of rainwater, rather than mains water, is encouraged whenever possible for the preparation of vineyard treatments and natural preparations.

According to the principles of this methodology, rainwater collected during favourable lunar periods and stored away from light is considered particularly well suited for viticultural use because it is believed to offer several advantages:

  • Naturally soft (low hardness)
  • A pH close to that of vine leaves
  • Free from chlorine
  • Electrical properties considered favourable to living ecosystems

Within this approach, water is regarded as a medium capable of carrying and transmitting information. High-quality water is considered to be slightly acidic, with a redox potential close to its natural equilibrium.

These principles also hold that every molecule possesses its own electromagnetic field, and that water acts as a medium through which these subtle interactions are conveyed. As a result, the quality of the water is considered to influence the effectiveness of preparations applied in the vineyard.

Rainwater is naturally low in mineral content, having originated through the process of evaporation before absorbing various elements from the atmosphere during its journey. Its mineral concentration typically ranges from 50 to 100 mg/L, and its pH is generally slightly acidic, around 6. This is close to the natural pH of vine leaves and is therefore considered to facilitate the plant’s assimilation of water-based vineyard treatments.

Certification requirements :

To comply with the certification standards, the following requirements apply:

  • All homeopathic preparations, dynamised preparations, and any related formulations must be prepared exclusively using rainwater.
  • Rainwater must be collected in suitable storage tanks, protected from light and kept in a cool environment, using a three-way valve system.
  • The first three to four millimetres of rainfall must not be collected, as this initial runoff may contain atmospheric pollutants and dust accumulated on the roof.
  • The roof used for rainwater collection must be cleaned at least once a year.
  • Collection valves must remain closed during unfavourable lunar periods, namely apogee, perigee, and lunar nodes.
  • Rainwater must be collected from a clean, uncontaminated roof, free from heavy metals, lead, asbestos, or any other potentially harmful materials.
  • Rainwater collection should take place during the first quarter of the year (January to March), when rainfall is considered less likely to contain residues from surrounding agricultural activities, such as pesticides.
  • The collection system must include activated carbon and/or pozzolan filtration. Pozzolan, a naturally occurring volcanic rock, is used for its recognised filtration and purification properties.
  • Collected rainwater must remain clear at all times, with no signs of turbidity or unpleasant odours.

04

dynamisation / preparation

Preparation dynamisation originates from the work of Rudolf Steiner, founder of anthroposophy, and forms one of the foundations of biodynamic agriculture. This approach seeks to promote soil vitality and the quality of agricultural products by working in harmony with the natural processes of living ecosystems.

Within this methodology, biodynamic preparations are considered an essential component of vineyard management. They are intended to strengthen the vine’s natural resilience while contributing to a reduction in the use of copper- and sulphur-based plant protection products.

The dynamisation process itself varies according to the preparation being used. Stirring times may range from 20 minutes to one hour, with specific stirring rhythms, temperatures, application rates per hectare, and storage methods depending on the preparation.

Horn manure preparations are used to support soil microbial activity, encouraging the decomposition of organic matter and the formation of humus. Within the biodynamic approach, these preparations are believed to improve soil fertility while supporting root development, balanced vegetative growth, and the vine’s natural defence mechanisms.

Preparation 500 (horn manure – 120 g/ha diluted in 35 litres of water per hectare) and 500P (prepared horn manure) are used to encourage root development, promote humus formation, improve soil structure, porosity, and natural aeration, while fostering biological activity within the soil.

Preparation 501 (horn silica) is applied as a foliar spray and is intended to enhance photosynthetic activity, supporting grape ripening and overall fruit quality.

Valerian preparation may be applied as a protective measure against late spring frosts, following a 15-minute dynamisation at an application rate of 10 mL/ha.

Certification requirements :

To comply with the certification standards, the following criteria must be met:

  • Appropriate equipment for the dynamisation of preparations must be available.
  • Rainwater must be used as the base for all preparations.
  • The biodynamic preparations authorised under the certification are: 500, 500P, 501, manure compost, horn silica, and valerian.
  • Preparations may either be produced on the estate or purchased from recognised specialist organisations, such as the Mouvement de l’Agriculture Bio-Dynamique, the Association Hugues de Payns, or any other organisation with recognised expertise in biodynamic preparations.
  • Certified storage containers must be available for all raw materials used in the preparations.
  • Spraying equipment must be properly maintained and appropriately sized for the vineyard parcels where the preparations are applied.

05

homeopathy

Within this certification framework, homeopathy is based on the principle of “like treats like.” Applied to viticulture, homeopathic preparations are intended to stimulate the vine’s natural responses by exposing it to highly diluted substances associated with potential pests or fungal diseases. These preparations typically involve the dilution and dynamisation of copper and selected plant extracts and are used as a preventive approach against fungal diseases such as downy mildew, powdery mildew, and black rot.

Homeopathic preparations are produced from a minute quantity of an original substance that is progressively diluted through successive stages until the desired preparation is obtained.

According to the principles of homeopathy, a preparation is selected because its effects on a healthy organism are considered similar to the symptoms observed in the affected plant.

The certification also permits the use of isotherapy (or isopathy). This approach is based on the principle that a plant affected by a particular substance, pest, or fungal organism may be treated using a highly dynamised preparation of that same causal agent, typically at a 200K Korsakovian dilution.

Depending on the chosen method, preparations may be produced using a VITALSEL vat, a radionic device, or the Korsakovian dilution method.

The Korsakovian method developed by the physician and homeopath Semyon Korsakov, this method uses a single container throughout the entire dilution process.

The preparation begins by mixing 1% of the active substance with 99% of a solvent. The solution is then vigorously shaken one hundred times (dynamisation), producing the 1K dilution. The container is emptied, leaving only the thin film of liquid adhering to its walls, which represents approximately 1% of the previous dilution.

The container is then refilled with fresh solvent, shaken another one hundred times to produce the 2K dilution, and emptied again.

From the third dilution onwards, the solvent used is high-purity water.

The process may be repeated through many successive dilutions—up to 100,000K if required. According to this methodology, producing such a preparation would require approximately 2,000 litres of purified water and ten days of continuous operation.

Within the Korsakovian approach, each successive dilution contains traces of all previous stages and is considered to retain the characteristics of the earlier preparations.

Certification requirements : 

To comply with the certification standards, the following requirements must be met:

  • Appropriate equipment must be available, including a VITALSEL vat, a radionic device, and/or the equipment required for preparing Korsakovian dilutions.
  • Rainwater must be used for all VITALSEL dilutions.
  • Rainwater is not required for Korsakovian dilutions; however, chlorinated water must be avoided in favour of pure or demineralised water.
  • Six mandatory preparations must be produced each growing season: copper, volcanic sulphur, garlic, meadowsweet, valerian, and silica.
  • When using the VITALSEL churn, preparation times must follow the official reference schedule provided.
  • Homeopathic preparations made from synthetic chemical products are prohibited.
  • Maximum storage periods are:
    • Three months for preparations produced using the VITALSEL method.
    • One growing season for Korsakovian preparations and radionically informed granules.
  • Completion of training in homeopathic vineyard treatments is mandatory before this section of the certification can be validated.
  • All equipment used for the preparation of homeopathic treatments must be reset and recalibrated annually.

06

phytotherapy

Wild plants, vegetables, and the leaves of certain trees provide valuable natural biostimulants that help protect vines while supporting their natural defence mechanisms.

Phytotherapy is based on the principle of using plants to care for plants, offering an environmentally responsible approach to vineyard management. It aims to reduce the reliance on copper- and sulphur-based treatments by using naturally occurring plant compounds to help prevent or support the management of fungal diseases affecting the vine.

Within this approach, plant-based preparations are used both preventively and, where appropriate, as complementary treatments.

Categories of plant preparations :

  • Plant preparations are classified into several functional groups:

  • Repellent preparations, intended to discourage insects, pests, and animals that may damage the vines.
  • Biostimulant preparations, which help regulate vine growth, promote balanced yields, and provide antioxidant support at the cellular level.
  • Fermented plant extracts (phytostimulants), which stimulate plant metabolism while improving soil fertility. Produced through maceration and fermentation, these preparations contain minerals and plant proteins that supply essential nutrients and trace elements while improving nitrogen utilisation.
  • Inducing preparations, designed to enhance the vine’s state of readiness and encourage a faster natural response to environmental stresses.
  • Defence-activating preparations, which support and strengthen the vine’s own defence mechanisms.
  • Antioxidant preparations, intended to reinforce the plant’s resilience during periods of significant stress.
  • Detection-disrupting preparations, which are intended to interfere with the ability of certain pests to identify stressed or weakened plants through naturally occurring aromatic compounds.

These preparations are generally applied alongside approved organic vineyard treatments using carefully calibrated spraying equipment to ensure precise application.

When fertilising preparations are used, they must be applied with equipment specifically suited to this purpose.

The overall objective is to encourage a balanced and resilient vineyard ecosystem by supporting the vine’s natural biological processes.

Preparation methods :

  • Fermented plant extracts : Dried plant material is immersed in rainwater to extract organic compounds produced through the fermentation of natural sugars and starches. These fermented extracts are primarily used as phytostimulants and natural repellents.
  • Plant decoctions : Finely chopped plants are simmered in rainwater for a specified period to extract their active compounds. Decoctions are mainly used as preventive treatments against fungal diseases, while also serving as foliar biostimulants.
  • Plant infusions : Cut plant material is first soaked in cold rainwater before being gently heated until the first signs of simmering, after which the heat is removed. This method is intended to extract organic acids with insecticidal and fungicidal properties, together with compounds believed to stimulate the vine’s natural defence mechanisms and release valuable minerals and trace elements.

Certification requirements :

To comply with the certification standards, the following criteria must be met:

  • Plant material must either be certified for phytotherapeutic use or harvested from healthy, uncontaminated environments free from direct chemical exposure.
  • The locations where wild plants are collected must be clearly identified and recorded on a site map.
  • Harvested plants must be dried in a suitable environment that is dry, ventilated, protected from light and humidity, and isolated from other active substances.
  • Dedicated equipment must be available for the preparation of plant extracts, including filters, containers, and heating equipment.
  • A fermented nettle extract must be prepared in spring and applied around St John’s Day to stimulate soil microbial life and encourage vigorous early vine growth.
  • A field horsetail decoction must be prepared before Easter.
  • Infusions of field horsetail, nettle, and comfrey must be prepared and applied to the foliage throughout the growing season.
  • A meadowsweet infusion must be applied around the flowering period.
  • Where necessary, a meadowsweet decoction may be prepared to help protect the vines against cold conditions.

07

geobiology

Geobiology is an approach that seeks to understand and manage the natural energies present within an agricultural environment. It also considers the potential influence of natural underground features, as well as man-made electromagnetic sources such as telecommunications infrastructure and other forms of environmental pollution.

Within this methodology, geobiology is used to identify invisible environmental factors that are believed to influence the health and vitality of living organisms.

According to the principles of geobiology, certain areas of land may be affected by naturally occurring underground geological features and associated energy fields. These may be considered, within this approach, to interact with additional sources of electromagnetic influence.

The aim of geobiology is to identify these areas so that appropriate measures can be implemented to minimise or mitigate their perceived effects, helping to create a more balanced environment for the vineyard and its surrounding ecosystem.

Certification requirements :

To comply with the certification standards, the following practices are recommended or may be implemented as part of the certification framework:

  • Engage specialists in environmental energy assessment to carry out a comprehensive evaluation of the estate’s buildings and identify areas considered to require corrective measures.
  • Rebalance the environmental energies of existing buildings where appropriate.
  • Integrate energy-balancing principles into the design of new buildings on the estate.
  • Consult specialist companies for building or landscaping projects (such as Pneumatit, for example).
  • When constructing new buildings, install copper grounding wires within the concrete slabs.
  • Use informed ceramic discs, domes, or ceramic eggs within buildings where appropriate.
  • Other recognised energy-balancing devices or systems may also be used throughout the domaine.

Please note:
A geobiological assessment of the vineyard soils may also be carried out. Where a specific geobiological improvement or installation is implemented, it may be included within the scope of the certification. Likewise, an energy assessment performed using a scalar wave device, where applicable within the certification framework, may also be taken into consideration.