Fédération Nationale
Terra Vitis

A certification
for sustainable winegrowing

Founded more than 25 years ago in the Beaujolais region, today the Terra Vitis association manages one of the leading certifications for the wine sector, and the only national certification for sustainable viticulture.

Thanks to our certification and strict specifications, we have an on-going commitment to sustainable viticulture. Each and every one of our actions is designed to achieve the best possible balance between respect for the environment, for society as a whole, and for the economic sustainability of wine estates. The Terra Vitis growers’ goal can be described as a commitment to making quality wine, in the best possible way, now and in the future.

Our members

Above all, Terra Vitis is an association of grape farmers and winegrowers with a hands-on approach, who are passionate about wine and sustainable viticulture.

It is our members who rigorously put into practice our values and commitments. Their common sense and collective experience are what shape our certification and its requirements, and they spread the word about this commitment to wine trade members and the general public. It is thanks to this solid network that these commitments are recognised, and that Terra Vitis is the only national certification for sustainable viticulture.

Testimonials

Terra Vitis means putting agricultural common sense back into the heart of all our practices.

Marie CourselleWinegrower, Château Thieuley, Entre-deux-mers, Bordeaux

It's an approach that spans everything we do, from ploughing to trimming, to leaf removal... all the actions that improve the quality of the grapes, that are designed to enhance our terroir - and of course our wines, above all!

Laurent MonnetVineyard manager, Château de Santenay, Burgundy

Our actions encourage the establishment of different insect species as much as possible, to obtain natural population regulation

Clément Brun Technical director, Château Cavalier, Côtes-de-Provence

Terra Vitis is a true quality system adapted for winegrowing businesses. (...) From vineyard to bottle, everything is carefully managed and traced.

Caroline Leroux Cooperative member, Cave Vinescence, Beaujolais

The Terra Vitis approach has allowed us to share and pool our experience to help cooperative members progress individually and grow better quality grapes - which is in the interest of consumers.

Didier Avenet Cooperative member, Cave des producteurs de Montlouis-sur-Loire, Loire

The Terra Vitis approach is a valuable means of communication with our employees (...). So respecting the specifications has become a common objective which motivates people and brings them together

Didier Thévenet Vineyard manager, Château de Corcelles, Beaujolais

An approach founded on sustainable development

Terra Vitis is a thoughtful approach to viticulture and wine growing. It is based on the pillars of sustainable development, and on our trust in the experience and common sense of the grape farmers and winegrowers who carry it forward.

Our approach is global and pragmatic. It involves all stages of wine production, from vine to wine glass, and all the aspects of the jobs of grape farmers and winegrowers.

Environmental commitment

Respect for the environment is the first pillar of sustainable development; it is also an essential commitment within the Terra Vitis approach.

We pay particular ...

attention to optimising the way we use natural resources, to protecting biodiversity, and to encouraging the balance between natural and farmed environments.

This commitment takes different forms at Terra Vitis-certified estates, such as limiting inputs, fighting pests and major vine diseases (eg. mildew) either by hand or using treatments, planting grass cover, limiting the use of sulfites, putting in shelters for insects and bats, recycling waste and re-using viticulture by-products, or growing plants for honey production.

Social responsibility

Responsible winemaking is also about ensuring that everything possible is done for the well-being and safety of all, a point verified by Terra Vitis for every one of its certified members.

Thus Terra Vitis ...

independent grape farmers and winegrowers provide safe working conditions for their employees, guarantee the traceability of their wines and protect the quality of the environment for their neighbours and future generations.

Economic sustainability

In the wine sector, passing on a healthy estate with long-term potential to future generations is both a major challenge and an essential point for our members.

We encourage ...

them to manage their estates in an economical and sustainable way, thinking about the long-term effects of all their acts, choosing appropriate viticultural techniques and making sustainable choices on a day-to-day basis (eg. for bottling, packaging and labelling their wines).

This sustainability-focused management promotes the estates’ resilience and financial health.

The foundations of sustainable development are fundamental to Terra Vitis, hence the inclusion of this aspect in our certification.

A demanding certification
for the wine sector

Terra Vitis is recognised by the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food. It is built on demanding specifications based on responsible wine growing objectives and the real world, and is devised for, and by, grape farmers and winegrowers.

Our certification involves inspections at all stages of production, from planting vines through to bottling, including the transformation of grapes into wine. It is granted on an annual basis so to keep their certification and be able to use Terra Vitis on the current vintage, estates have to be inspected each year.

Toute l'actualité Terra Vitis en un clic

Terra Vitis a 25 ans !

Née dans l’esprit de quelques viticultrices et viticulteurs précurseurs du Beaujolais, la démarche Terra Vitis fête en 2023 ses 25 ans. Un quart de siècle

October 9 2023

Changement climatique et viticulture :
quels enjeux ? quelles conséquences ? quelles solutions ?

Entre cycle végétatif raccourci, vendanges précoces, taux d’alcool en hausse et modification de la typicité des vins, la filière vitivinicole est impactée dans son ensemble

September 4 2023

Retour sur notre participation au Salon de l’Agriculture

À l’heure où les préoccupations environnementales et sociétales sont au cœur des réflexions et des discussions, les consommateurs, bien qu’attentifs, sensibles et sensibilisés, sont parfois

August 3 2023

Terra Vitis key figures

wine regions

0 %

of the French vineyard area

hectares of vines

1880 grape farmers and winegrowers

million bottles

AOPs and IGPs

Our partners

Intermediaries such as wine brokers and cooperative wineries are key partners for TERRA VITIS because they guarantee product traceability and production method transparency.

And last but not least, these wines would be nothing without you.
Specialist wine shops, retailers and restaurants that offer their customers a selection of TERRA VITIS wines are also key partners and essential to our approach – just like the customers who buy our wines…

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Fédération Nationale Terra Vitis

A certification for sustainable winegrowing

Our members

Testimonials

An approach founded on sustainable development

Environmental commitment

Social responsibility

Economic sustainability

A demanding certification for the wine sector

Toute l'actualité Terra Vitis en un clic

Terra Vitis a 25 ans !

Changement climatique et viticulture : quels enjeux ? quelles conséquences ? quelles solutions ?

Retour sur notre participation au Salon de l’Agriculture

Terra Vitis key figures

Our partners

Subscribe to our newsletter

Fédération Nationale
Terra Vitis

A certification
for sustainable winegrowing

A demanding certification
for the wine sector

Changement climatique et viticulture :
quels enjeux ? quelles conséquences ? quelles solutions ?