Our Stories

Managing the Château de Pommard vineyard team

Paul, can you tell us your story? What is your current role at Château de Pommard?


I spent more than 11 years in Pommard, working with different winemakers before joining Château de Pommard for what I thought would be just a season. I got along very well with the Team and decided to stay. I had been in charge of a team of 100 people during one of my previous experiences and I really like this team management aspect. Plus, I learned a lot about viticulture when working in the South of Burgundy and in Mâcon. Now I am proud to be the Head of the Vineyard Team of Château de Pommard.



How is your team organized? What are the different roles within the team?


There is a huge amount of organization work for the Clos, and this is something we are noticing particularly this year. During spring, we thought we had three weeks of advance on the vines but we just realized that this was not really the case. Working on 20 hectares of vines represents a considerable amount of work. The team has to evolve and adapt. Last week, we had a team of 16 people, including the 8 who work here full-time. The most important thing is to identify the capabilities of each worker and attribute the right tasks to the right people.



What is so specific about the Clos Marey-Monge?


Everything is growing all at once in the Clos, in particular this year. Sometimes we feel like we will never be able to finish what we are doing. There is always something more to do. The vines are quite vigorous, sensitive, and fragile in some of our plots. They demand extra care, especially the 5 hectares of freshly planted vines in the plot Émilie. The cut is a key moment for the Clos; now more than ever because we recently changed our method. This year, we also spent a lot of time on disbudding the old vines.



What are the biodynamic principles that your team follows on a daily basis?


I had already been working with the moon’s cycles during my previous experiences but I really discovered the principles of biodynamic viticulture when I joined Château de Pommard. This is an ongoing learning process, in practice and in theory. We share a lot within the team, especially with the ones who are more curious about this subject.



Do you have something to say about the Vineyard Team of Château de Pommard?


It’s a really difficult job but we have a lot of fun in the Clos. The surface is not easy to cover in full. However, we all have a good time working together.