The Arnaud Farm: 2 farming brothers who tell the story of organic farming

An organic estate since 1978, Ferme des Arnaud is a family-run vineyard passed down through generations since the 1940s. For Martial and Samuel, the third generation to manage the vineyard, 2016 was a pivotal year: their first true vintage. The two brothers, who took over the estate a few years ago, are keeping busy, juggling sustainable viticulture with diversification. Samuel Arnaud tells us the story of the family estate and the challenges of organic viticulture in the Rhône Valley.

La Ferme des Arnaud ( Rhône Valley ): organic estate since 1978

In 1940, our grandfather, Papé Yves, planted the estate's first vines on land abandoned during the war. After the Second World War, he established a cooperative winery. When, a few years later, our father joined him on the estate, they made a decision that would change its history: together, they decided to convert the vineyard to organic farming . By 1978, after many years of dedicated effort, they had converted the entire estate to organic. Although he was long considered eccentric by his neighbors, our father is now clearly a pioneer of organic viticulture. Years passed, and in 2008, my younger brother, Martial, took over the estate, and I joined him a few years later, in 2013.

Discover the wines from Ferme des Arnaud

Samuel Arnaud: "The earth, plants, humans... We are in the realm of living things, and we must know how to adapt."

Martial, my younger brother, is completely obsessed with wine: he lives, breathes, and sleeps it. With a degree in oenology, he even went to New Zealand to hone his skills and pursue his passion. As for me, I trained as a control engineer and was living in Haute-Savoie with my family. In 2008, Martial took over the family estate, and I decided to follow him a few years later. I left a stable, well-paid job to bring my whole family to the vineyard and learn the ropes of farming. And I admit it: it's tough. The work is harder, the income lower, but the children grow up among the vines, and our work is far more rewarding because we're working with living things.

Today, for example, we had to revert a few hectares bordering the estate to sustainable farming practices to prevent the spread of flavescence dorée, a disease that attacks the region's vines. Organic farming is very effective as a preventative measure, but much less so in the event of a viral attack. So we always have to adapt and find solutions, and that's what we enjoy. Some might call it a constraint, but our perspective is different… We are clearly working with living things: the land, the plants, and the people, and we have to adapt. If we want to ensure the long-term viability of our estate and continue to make a living from our work, we must sacrifice some of our organic philosophy today so as not to lose everything.

Our favorite wines from the estate:

Entre Nous 2021 : A ruby ​​color, aromas of fruit and a hint of licorice with relatively fine tannins. A delicate wine with a lovely length.

Remember 2020 : An intense purple color with spicy, woody and slightly toasty aromas. A wine with beautiful complexity.

S'Kiss - 2021 : Velvety, ultra-fruity wine with a strong dominant raspberry aroma.

Discover the wines from Ferme des Arnaud

The future of the Arnaud Farm and their Côtes du Rhône wines: diversification

Our medium-term goal is to leave the cooperative winery and build our own winery, so we can better showcase our daily work. Currently, only 20% of our 15 hectares are under vine. In 2016, our first full year of winemaking, we will produce 25,000 bottles. With this new project, we hope to produce 48,000 bottles within five years.

We are realistic about the future and diversification is our only hope. Committed to sustainability, we prioritize short supply chains like those offered by lesgrappes.com or La Ruche qui dit Oui!

La Ferme des Arnaud produces not only Côtes du Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages , and Vacqueyras wines, but also Nyons AOC olives, olive oil, table grapes, and highly regarded grape juice. In fact, we won another gold medal at the Concours Général Agricole this year!

Martial had the idea of ​​creating an event in the middle of the vineyards, which was a great success last year, and which we're doing again this summer. We've set up a stage in the heart of the vineyards, and every Thursday evening we offer free concerts. With a view of Mont Ventoux, visitors can enjoy wines from the estate and a platter of regional charcuterie. Will you come and see us this summer?

Find the wines of Domaine Ferme des Arnaud on Les Grappes

Stephanie (Les Grappes)