How is a new generation of French winegrowers responding to the extreme temperatures and droughts becoming more pronounced in recent years? This summer, Adèle Pautrat visited Sainte Marie des Crozes, an organic and biodynamic Domaine in the village of Douzens in southern France. Winery Manager Christelle Alias and her team cultivate 15 different grape varieties to produce an impressive range of wines, all the while aiming to adapt and transform their viticulture in light of the challenges climate change poses. Local grape varieties will play an important role in making the vineyards resilient. 

Adèle Pautrat documents – in words and photos – her time spent at Sainte Marie des Crozes in August and September 2022.  She describes the problems that extreme temperatures and drought cause for the vine and how, in response to this, more professionals are seeing organic viticulture as a necessity. There is cause for hope in the vineyards of southern France.