AN EXCEPTIONAL AREA

The Beauvence estate enjoys record sunshine: over 300 days a year.

The 10 hectares of vines and 1,400 olive trees are planted at an altitude of 400 meters. Here, grapes and olives take full advantage of the heat of the day and the cool of the night.

The soil, on gently sloping hills, is clay-limestone, ideal for draining water and retaining trace elements. It’s no coincidence that the Romans, Phocaeans and even the Greeks from Rhodes had already chosen this region of Pertuis to grow vines and olive trees.

RESPECT FOR NATURE

No chemical fertilizers or pesticides on the estate. These products are banned from our daily routine and from our cultivation practices.

We take care to preserve the natural balance of the earth. Like our ancestors, we let the micro fauna do its work. In particular, earthworms aerate and enrich the soil.

We use selected grass cover and leave the wood from the pruning of the vines and olive trees on the soil in the spring. This is how we improve the soil.

On our estate, even the holm oak and pine forests that surround the plots are useful, as they help us to develop biodiversity.

THE BIOCLIMATIC WINERY

The^1st bioclimatic, energy-positive winery in the Luberon. When we talk about “bioclimatic”, it’s sometimes (often) just talk: so at Beauvence, we give you proof with 7!

# 1 / 7 the advantages of a semi-underground winery?

The semi-underground Chai de Beauvence offers a number of advantages, helping to produce quality wines:

1. Natural thermal regulation: As the soil has insulating properties, a semi-buried cellar benefits from natural thermal regulation to maintain a constant, moderate temperature throughout the year, which is ideal for fermentation and wine aging.
2. Controlled humidity: Humidity is better regulated in a semi-buried cellar, making it ideal for barrel storage.
3. Energy savings: Thanks to natural thermal regulation, there’s less need for air conditioning or heating, which can lead to energy savings.
4. Aesthetic integration: From an aesthetic point of view, a semi-buried winery can be better integrated into the surrounding landscape, preserving the natural aspect of the site, an important consideration when you’re in the heart of the Luberon Regional Park.
5. Protection from the elements: Being partially buried, the winery is naturally protected from external elements such as heat, frost or bad weather.

# 2 / 7 The advantages of a gravity-fed winery?

What are we talking about? A gravity cellar like the one at Beauvence is a type of cellar designed to use the force of gravity at different stages of the winemaking process. This concept is used to handle grapes and wine with as little mechanical intervention as possible. Here are just a few advantages:

1. Gravity and Wine Transfer: The configuration of a semi-buried winery often allows gravity to be used to transfer wine from tank to tank or tank to barrel, reducing the need for pumps.
2. Less oxidation: Using gravity to move wine from one stage to another minimizes oxidation, as there is less pumping and swirling.
3. Preservation of grape qualities: Using gravity rather than pumps to transport the grapes avoids damaging the berries, thus preserving their integrity and reducing the release of undesirable compounds from the skins and seeds.
4. Less Mechanical Intervention: By reducing the need for pumps and other mechanical equipment, there is less human and mechanical intervention, which can help preserve the natural qualities of the wine.
5. Energy savings: By using gravity rather than machines, energy consumption is reduced.
6. Simplicity and Purity of Process: A gravity-fed winery simplifies the winemaking process, allowing the winemaker to concentrate on quality rather than handling.

So yes, it requires a higher initial investment due to its specific multi-level architectural design, but the benefits in terms of wine quality and efficiency can offset this investment over the long term: CQFD!

# 3 / 7 The benefits of a well-insulated winery?

A well-insulated winery offers a number of advantages for wine quality and operational efficiency:

1. Thermal regulation: Good insulation helps maintain a stable temperature inside the winery, which is essential during fermentation and wine ageing. A constant temperature avoids fluctuations that can adversely affect wine quality.
2. Energy savings: A well-insulated winery requires less energy for heating in winter and air conditioning in summer. This can lead to significant savings in energy costs.
3. Humidity control: Proper insulation can also help regulate humidity inside the winery. Controlled humidity is crucial to prevent corks from drying out and mold from growing.
4. Durability: A well-insulated building is generally more durable, as it is less prone to damage caused by variations in temperature and humidity.
5. Aesthetics and functionality: A well-insulated winery can also provide a more comfortable working environment for staff, as well as being aesthetically pleasing.
6. Reduced CO2 emissions: By reducing energy consumption for heating and cooling, a well-insulated winery helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which is good for the environment.

In short, we have both economic and qualitative advantages, while contributing to environmentally-friendly wine production. For an organic estate, that’s the minimum…

# 4 / 7 What are the advantages of greening exterior walls?

Revegetating the walls of the Chai de Beauvence with Virginia creeper (ampelopsis) brings aesthetic, ecological and practical benefits, including:

1. Thermal insulation: the plants on the walls act as a layer of insulation, helping to maintain a stable interior temperature highly beneficial for a winery where constant temperature is essential for wine maturation.
2. Building protection: Vegetation protects the facade from the elements, such as rain, wind and UV rays, extending the life of the building material.
3. Aesthetics: Vegetation on walls gives a pleasant, natural appearance, enhancing the aesthetics of the building by integrating it fully into the landscape.
4. Reduced air-conditioning costs: In summer, vegetation helps to keep the building cool by providing shade and evaporating water, thus reducing the need for air-conditioning.

This greening of our walls with Virginia creeper offers both functional and aesthetic benefits, while improving energy efficiency and environmental well-being.

# 5 / 7 What are the advantages of rainwater harvesting?

Rainwater harvesting offers many advantages, both ecological and economic:

1. Reduced Potable Water Consumption: Using rainwater for non-potable needs, such as watering or cleaning, reduces demand on potable water sources.
2. Financial savings: Collecting and using rainwater will reduce our water bills.
3. Preservation of Water Resources: Using rainwater for non-potable needs reduces the pressure on aquifers, lakes and rivers, helping to preserve these precious water resources.
4. Independence: Having your own source of rainwater offers a degree of independence from water suppliers, particularly during periods of drought or water restrictions when climate change is leading to more frequent and intense droughts.

In conclusion, rainwater harvesting is an ecological and economical practice with many benefits for individuals, communities and the environment as a whole.

# 6 / 7 What are the advantages of the Provencal Well

installed at Domaine Beauvence?

A puits provençal, also known as a puits canadien, is a geothermal system that exploits the relatively constant temperature of the ground at a depth of 2.5 m to preheat or pre-cool the air entering a building: the advantages are many:

1. Natural thermal regulation: One of the main advantages of the puits provençal is its ability to naturally regulate the temperature of the winery. In summer, cool underground air cools the incoming air, while in winter, this air is warmed, helping to maintain a stable temperature inside our winery.
2. Energy savings: By using geothermal energy to help cool the winery, our energy requirements for heating and cooling are reduced, resulting in significant savings on our energy costs.
3. Durability and less maintenance: Provençal wells have fewer moving parts than traditional air-conditioning systems, making them more durable and less maintenance-intensive.
4. Healthy environment: The system renews the air inside the winery, which can contribute to a healthier environment with cleaner air.
5. Low Environmental Impact: By using the natural temperature of the ground to regulate our indoor temperature, our puits provençal is an environmentally-friendly solution that reduces greenhouse gas emissions associated with traditional heating and air-conditioning systems.
6. Humidity maintenance: The puits provençal can help maintain a stable relative humidity, which is beneficial for wine conservation.
7. Silent operation: Unlike traditional mechanical systems, the puits provençal operates silently, avoiding any noise disturbance in the winery.
8. Integration into the landscape: Our Provençal wells, which are mainly underground, are perfectly integrated into the landscape without disturbing the aesthetics of the winery.

In conclusion, our puits provençal offers an effective, environmentally-friendly method of regulating temperature in our winery, while also offering other advantages in terms of air quality, energy savings and sustainability.

# 7 / 7 What are the advantages of our solar roof?

What are the advantages of a photovoltaic roof for a winery?

The Beauvence winery is completely covered by a photovoltaic roof, which contributes to energy efficiency, sustainability and profitability:

1. Renewable Energy Production: The 60 KW of photovoltaic panels convert sunlight into electricity, providing a significant source of renewable energy.
2. Resale of Electricity: Our photovoltaic system produces more electricity than the winery consumes, making us a Positive Energy building!
3. Carbon footprint reduction: By using solar energy, we are contributing to the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
4. Additional protection: Panels can provide an extra layer of protection against the elements, potentially extending the life of the roof.
5. Space optimization: Rather than installing solar panels on the ground and consuming valuable space that could be used for growing vines, the roof of the winery is exploited.

The Chai de Beauvence, bioclimatic and energy-positive, is in complete symbiosis with our objective: to make great organic wines, while respecting the planet and our customers as much as possible…