Nature, environment and carbon neutrality
NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT
First “Carbon Neutral”
Champagne house
In 2016, Champagne Drappier became the first “carbon neutral” estate in the region (Écoact).
From vine to wine, every effort is taken to reduce our carbon footprint. For example, the solar panels on the roof of our buildings (covering nearly 2,000 m²), produce 75% of the energy we need.
Our fleet of electric vehicles (electric tractors and goods vehicles) allow us to reduce our fossil fuel consumption, and our electric charging points (generic and Tesla) allow visitors and staff to benefit from the energy produced through our systems.
The new shape of the Drappier bottle, designed by Michel Drappier, is now 15% lighter than a traditional champagne bottle.
We recycle an array of materials; from bottles to the racks we use for riddling. Each bottle enjoyed at the estate is given a second life, transformed into a high-quality, vegetable wax candle and presented in a special gift box we call Incandescence.
Near the Cornellier vineyard, architecture students are given free rein to recycle our wine racks and used wine barrels. The local landscape is now dotted with small vineyard huts, which are similar to those used at the time of our ancestors. Passing visitors can step inside and enjoy a tasting experience in the heart of nature.
On the estate, we also tend a vegetable garden, look after a henhouse, and manage an orchard following the principles of permaculture.
Our early commitment to ensuring a global ecological approach was recognised in 2016 with the certification of our estate as “Carbon Neutral”. This also meant that Champagne Drappier obtained the following awards:
Nature, environment and carbon neutrality
Nature, environment and carbon neutrality
Nature, environment and carbon neutrality
Nature, environment and carbon neutrality
Nature, environment and carbon neutrality
Nature, environment and carbon neutrality
Nature, environment and carbon neutrality
Nature, environment and carbon neutralityMichel Drappier, Green Personality of the Year
The Drinks Business – 2017
Prix de l’innovation
La Revue du Vin de France – 2019
Trophée Champenois de la démarche éco-responsable
Bulles & Millésimes – 2018
NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT
Farming
methods
The Drappier Champagne House team takes care of over 110 hectares of vineyard, of which 60 are privately owned, 17 have been certified organic since 2017, and a further 10 are in transition towards this certification. The whole vineyard is cultivated using sustainable viticulture practices.
We don’t use any herbicides, and we respect the life in the soil with our gentle farming practices: manual weeding (using a hoe), partial grass coverage, horse-drawn ploughing, and fallow land. We therefore encourage both biodiversity and healthy growth for our grapes. We also cultivate all seven grape varieties found in the Champagne region, and therefore help to preserve minority grape varieties, such as Fromenteau, Arbane, Petit Meslier and Blanc Vrai.
On the estate, Antoine Drappier, the youngest of the family, takes good care of his horses. He uses one in particular to work on the land. This precise farming technique means less soil compaction and therefore less erosion.
