When discussing Bourgogne, you will increasingly encounter terms such as organic, biodynamic and certified organic. But a large part of the region’s vineyards is still farmed using what is generally described as conventional viticulture. The term can be misleading. Conventional does not mean that every grower farms in the same way, nor does it necessarily mean intensive use of chemicals. It simply describes viticulture that is not bound by the specific restrictions of organic or biodynamic certification. In practice, there is an enormous spectrum.
What is conventional viticulture?
A conventional grower can use both natural and synthetic products to protect vines against disease, pests and weeds, provided their use complies with French and European regulations. This gives the winegrower more options than certified organic farming. Fungicides are particularly important in Bourgogne. The region’s relatively humid conditions can create significant pressure from diseases such as downy mildew and powdery mildew. A conventional grower can select treatments according to the conditions and disease pressure of a particular vintage. Herbicides may also be permitted, although many conventional domaines have reduced or completely abandoned their use.
Conventional does not mean intensive
This distinction is particularly important. Two domaines officially described as conventional may work their vineyards in completely different ways. One might use synthetic treatments routinely. Another may cultivate the soil mechanically, encourage biodiversity, avoid herbicides and use synthetic products only when disease pressure makes intervention necessary. Many Bourgogne growers follow some form of lutte raisonnée, or reasoned viticulture. Instead of treating according to a fixed programme, the vineyard is monitored and intervention takes place when considered necessary. Such a domaine may work remarkably close to organic principles without seeking certification.
Why remain conventional?
Bourgogne can be a challenging place to farm organically. Spring frost, hail, rain and fungal diseases can create enormous pressure, and conditions can change quickly. For some growers, conventional viticulture provides additional tools to protect a valuable crop when circumstances become difficult. There are also practical reasons not to become certified. Certification involves regulations, inspections and administration. Some small domaines simply prefer to make their own decisions rather than work within a formal system. Therefore, absence of an organic certificate tells you relatively little about the quality of the vineyard work.
Does conventional farming affect the taste?
You cannot reliably taste from a glass whether a vineyard was farmed conventionally or organically. Wine quality depends on many interconnected factors: vineyard location, yields, vine health, harvest timing, vintage conditions and decisions in the cellar. For serious Bourgogne producers, the objective is ultimately healthy, balanced grapes that express their origin.
A changing approach
Conventional viticulture itself is changing. Many growers in Bourgogne are reducing synthetic treatments, abandoning herbicides, working soils more carefully and paying greater attention to biodiversity and soil health — even without becoming officially organic. The boundary between conventional and organic practice can therefore be less clear than the terminology suggests. That is worth remembering when buying Bourgogne. A certification tells you which rules a grower follows. The absence of certification does not tell you how carefully that grower farms. For that, you need to know the producer.