Beyond sustainability: the rise of Regenerative viticulture

Regenerative viticulture (RV) is born in part to bring life back to dying soils.

It sees the vineyard as an agroecosystem. Biodiversity and soil health are the main focus of RV. The idea is to create a functioning ecosystem where inputs are reduced and where the management creates an ecosystem that replaces the previous inputs. This is called “ecosystem services”. The idea is to farm soils, not vines, and in the process, vines get better.

But first, how does a soil function?

Soil is fragile because it is made from the ties linking mineral components coming from the mother rock and from organic components coming from the litter. Ties between both components are based on electric links that is why they are so fragile.

Minerals come from the mother rock and are formed by silica, oxygen, hydrogen, iron and aluminum.

Organic components come from corpse of plants and animals. They are formed by carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen. These components will transform themselves in colloidal components under the influence of soil life and climate. Clay and humus will unite to form a stable clay-humus complex.

Colloids are small particles negatively charged. They need to bind with positive poles to stabilize the soil. The alteration of the mother rock releases positive ions like calcium, magnesium, iron and aluminum, which will act as homeport for the negatively charged clay and humus particles. The clay-humus complex will then precipitate and resist to erosion.

Each soil has its own profile. It has three different layers or levels, corresponding to the muscle, dermis and epidermis of animal tissues.

Horizon A (upper level) is made of organic matter originating from vegetal fragments and animal waste. Litter decomposes into humus under the action of the fauna and microbes. Horizon B is a mix of organic and mineral matter. Horizon C is only mineral. In the deep layers, mother rock is decomposed into clay under the action of roots and microbes, forming this horizon.

Soil is formed in the intestine of earthworms that come to look for the litter on the surface, bring it back down and do the same with the clay. Through this continuous amalgamation, they are the true creators of the soil.

Each climate, each rock, each vegetation, each fauna in the soil contributes to the creation of a specific soil profile, well adapted to these factors. This adaptation translates into the fact that a soil will tend to confront any external action willing to change the existing balance. This is why it is of utmost importance for the wine grower to know this balance before attempting any action on the soil.

The life cycle of a soil.

As mentioned above, soils are fragile. Death of the soils starts with the biological death, followed by the chemical death and then by the physical death. **Biological death starts by stopping the supply of organic matter and by favoring the death of the soil by ploughing or by irrigation, which contributes to accelerating the mineralization of the organic matter. Earthworms and the mesofauna of the soil, feeding on the litter, manure and compost see their food removed. Ploughing destroys all organic matter and exposes soils to erosion. Organic matter cannot transform itself into humus inside the deep furrows formed by ploughing because many organisms contributing to its formation are aerobic and end up deeply buried in the furrow.

Earthworms play a fundamental rule in the soil: through their feces, they move back up the nutritional elements of the soil: potassium, magnesia and calcium. Deprived from these elements, soil acidifies. This is when chemical death starts.

During the Chemical death process, feeding elements, instead of going back to the surface, go deep in the earth, contaminating the phreatic table or the rivers to the surface. Where massive irrigation is used, soils become salty because the water in the phreatic tables contain different types of salts.

This is the main reason explaining the desertification of agricultural soils. **Physical death occurs once the soil is deprived from its natural life, soil acidifies and stops insuring the cohesion between clay and humus. Colloids will be carried away by water, rainfall and/or winds. Physical deterioration is called erosion.

Now that the mechanism present in the soil have been described, RV has a series of tools and actions to improve and maintain soil life and health.

How does RV work in practice?

As mentioned, the priority of RV is to establish a solid agroecosystem. This builds resilience into vineyards and over time reduces the inputs.

One important aspect of RV is the change of attitude towards soils. This is illustrated by James Millton, a winemaker in New Zealand who says: “We are not standing on dirt, but the rooftop of another kingdom”. This remark is linked to the understanding of what happens at root level. Roots have established a mutually beneficial symbiotic relation with fungi in the soil. The latter become intimately associated with the roots and help with nutrient uptake, in exchange for lipids and carbohydrates from the plants.

Soil structure is also key for RV. If soil is compacted, it can lead to poor water exchange with the roots and poor gas exchange. Vine roots need at least 10% air-filled space in the soil, and preferably 15%. Compaction comes from the over-use of heavy machinery in the vineyard, but also from herbicides, which deplete the soil from its life and contributes to loss of proper soil structure. Without herbicides, there are two options for vineyard floor management: tillage and no-tillage. Tilling reduces soil micro life and damages soil structure, so there is an on-going trend toward tillage.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) includes the use of biological control of pests and diseases, for example by introducing predators of pests or creating refuge areas for pest predators.

Cover cropping involves having the right cover crop to prevent erosion, increase soil life, assure soil stability, replace nutrients taken up by the vines, increase soil organic water infiltration, sequester carbon dioxide and increase soil organic matter. Cover crops can be used as mulch, which suppresses weeds, lowers soil temperature and reduces water loss.

Composting can also increase soil organic material and replace nutrients removed from the system by the vines. Another tool is to adapt the trellising system to the local climate. The incorporation of animals in the vineyard to perform various tasks (weed removing, manure enrichment) is another aspect of RV.

How do wineries across the globe increasingly use RV to improve vine health and the overall quality of the wines they produce?

Across the globe, producers are adopting RV practices, regardless of their size, style of wines or economic power.

Mumm in Champagne has been engaged in regenerative viticulture since 2021. Herbicides were eliminated in 2020. They have understood that the soil is the motor and that it needs to be fed with energy. They therefore sow nitrogen fixing pants. To avoid competition between the vines and the cover crops, they adapt the cover crop mix. Bernard Pineau, head of sustainable wine-growing at Martell, Mumm, Perrier Jouët has three main goals. First main goal is to avoid using fertilizers, aiming to install a natural nutritive cycle to be in use thanks to the plant cover. Second, is to anticipate the impact of global warming over the next ten years. The third is to capture carbon from the air.

Here are some actions that are currently under way at Mumm. They sow cover crops just after the harvest. In May, when they are 1,50 m high, they roll the covert in order to have a mulch which later breaks down. This makes that the soil temperature lower by 2-3ºC in the summer compared to a bare soil which reduces evaporation and water stress. Mumm is also beginning to trail with agroforestry, that is planting trees in the vineyard to create a microclimate to allow the natural symbiosis between the trees and the vines. Here 15 years will be needed to see the first results.

Tablas Creek in Paso Robles, Central Coast California, was the first vineyard in the world to receive Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC) status in 2020 for their 48, 5 ha vineyard. The estate integrates organic and biodynamic practices, including permanent cover crops, no-till soil management, and mob grazing with sheep and alpacas to naturally fertilize and manage ground cover.

These soil-focused practices aim to increase soil organic matter, boost water retention, and improve resilience to drought and heat—key climate adaptation goals. By avoiding tillage, the vineyard preserves soil structure and microbial networks essential for nutrient cycling. The use of livestock reduces reliance on mechanical or chemical weed control, lowering fossil fuel inputs and enhancing biodiversity. However, while ROC provides credibility, its long-term effects on consistent climate resilience outcomes across vintages remain to be quantified before a wide-spread adoption.

The large multinational group Familia Torres, and its associated estates like Jean Leon and Miguel Torres Chile, are among the first wineries globally certified under the Regenerative Viticulture Alliance (RVA) standard, which emphasizes no-tillage, cover crops, rational grazing or alternatives, organic soil amendments, and biodiversity conservation.

In Spain’s Penedès, Torres has implemented regenerative practices across hundreds of hectares, focusing on soil carbon sequestration, erosion control, and biodiversity enhancement. In Chile’s Maule and Curicó valleys, Miguel Torres Chile applies similar principles within diverse terroirs—from coastal vineyards to continental interiors. However, in the adoption process of RV, large estates such as Torres face inherent complexities: spatial heterogeneity of soils and microclimates makes uniform practice adoption difficult, and compels the company to constantly adapt its practices to local conditions. Since RV does not come with a one-size fits-all manual, there is always a trade-off to make between RV practices and their economic impact on the bottom line.

In New Zealand’s North Canterbury, Greystone Wines exemplifies regenerative viticulture from a small to medium-sized producer perspective. Greystone’s approach blends organic, biodynamic, and regenerative methods on its 50 ha vineyard, emphasizing hand-on soil management, no synthetic herbicides, and careful canopy control to enhance airflow and disease resistance. Although not certified under a formal global scheme, the estate participates in initiatives like the One Block Challenge, helping growers trial regenerative practices on some chosen parcels before wider adoption. This pragmatic, evidence-oriented approach underscores both the opportunities and limitations of regenerative adoption at smaller scales: while fostering resilience through enhanced soil biology and reduced chemical dependency, the lack of formal certification frameworks can make external validation of regenerative outcomes and market differentiation more difficult. Nonetheless, Greystone’s adaptive practices echo the broader industry recognition that healthy soils and biodiversity are essential to flexing vineyards against climatic stressors.

Domaine Mirabeau in Provence is a small producer. The domaine extends over 20 ha, of which 14 ha are planted with grenache, cinsault and rolle. It widely exports its portfolio of rosés wines in over 50 countries. Certified under the RVA regime, it combines organic viticulture with regenerative techniques such as diversified ground cover, organic matter amendments, and no-till practices. These are aimed at enhancing soil health and biodiversity within Mediterranean vineyard ecosystems.

Mediterranean regions like Provence face increasing pressures from drought, heat stress, and soil erosion—making regenerative practices particularly relevant. Mirabeau’s application of continuous cover crops and soil enhancement tackles these challenges by improving water infiltration, reducing soil temperatures, and increasing resilience to extreme drought. But the Mediterranean context also presents trade-offs: cover crops may compete with vines for water in low-rainfall years, demanding careful management of species selection and termination timing to ensure vines do not suffer. This highlights a broader challenge for regenerative adoption in water-limited regions: the necessity of local adaptation and monitoring, rather than wholesale export of practices from wetter or cooler climates.

After having dived in real world examples, some common themes and challenges emerge.

All examples place soil structure, organic matter, and microbiome diversity at the core of resilience, aiming to buffer vines against heat stress, water scarcity, and disease pressures.

Programs like ROC and RVA provide frameworks that encourage consistency and offer consumer transparency. Yet, they can also be resource-intensive, potentially limiting uptake among small producers unless supported by shared knowledge and affordable pathways.

Local context matters. Mediterranean drought, Californian heat, and New Zealand’s cooler maritime climates show that regenerative practices must be adapted, not adopted wholesale, with vigilant monitoring and flexibility.

Regenerative viticulture is most effective when it moves beyond individual practices toward ecosystem-level thinking—integrating biodiversity, livestock, and landscape connectivity.

Producers collectively emphasize that while regenerative viticulture holds significant potential for enhancing resilience and ecosystem health, its success depends on careful local adaptation, long-term measurement, and supportive frameworks that reconcile ecological integrity with economic viability.