We are seeing growers in France that that have reverted to horses drawn ploughs to cultivate the rows between the vines thus developing permacultures without the use of tractors that would otherwise compress the soil and pollute the air with diesel fumes.

Fertilisers and chemicals are generally prohibited in the appellation regions and the more natural practice of developing permacultures enhances the quality of the finished product without otherwise polluting it with industrial processed chemicals.

There are restrictions in these areas as to the irrigation of vines and there are strict controls over appellations in this respect. There was a time when any sort of irrigation was prohibited however lately there has been some relaxation in these matters.

Irrigation causes the grapes to grow larger than non-irrigated grapes but in doing so reduces the quality of the wine they produce, thus destroying the name and reputation of the respective appellation.