Measuring Farming Techniques
Destination: Bordeaux, France
Bordeaux's name is emblazoned on some of the world's best bottles of wine, but that doesn't always mean good things for the region's agriculture industry.
It seems perfectly reasonable to passionate oenophiles that more than three-quarters of the growable land in
France's Bordeaux region is planted with wine grapes, but it's not the most farsighted plan for the land. Called a "monoculture," when one crop takes over the majority of the land, it can lead to a decline in biodiversity throughout the neighboring and interacting growth zones.
A relatively new philosophy of diversification in agritourism is beginning to take hold, and growers and winemakers are looking at new ways to ensure the incredible grape region remains healthy for generations to come. More kinds of plants attract a more varied range of insects, both beneficial and harmful to the crops, so studies are being done to enhance wildlife in the vineyards and find ways to naturally regulate vine pests. In many wine-growing regions, rose bushes are planted at the ends of the rows of vines -- this helps to eradicate some kinds of grape-attacking insects.
New techniques in farming have been introduced, but it's only with accurate monitoring that they can assess whether specific tactics are effective. You'll work with a team of research scientists to measure the biodiversity of the viticulture and assess the project's success thus far. You'll also help test new methods, and gather and compile data to report to farmers and vintners about current methods and what the next step might be. You don't need viticultural expertise, as you'll be trained and guided through the necessary tasks, but it doesn't hurt if you love the end product.
When immersed in wine, it seems only right that you be housed in chalet cabins alongside a babbling brook in the shadow of an old mill house. There are several of these bungalows clustered here at Domaine du Moulin des Sandaux, and some even boast a swimming pool where you can float and look out across the rolling hills that tumble down to the Dordogne River. A cook prepares your French meals.
Your Next Step: Earthwatch (tel.
800/776-0188;
www.earthwatch.org). A 5-day stay, $2,950, includes chalet accommodations, homemade French cuisine, scientific training and guidance, and project support. A $35 Earthwatch membership is required.
Don't Miss: Fine wine and fine music rightly go hand in hand, so when in Bordeaux, try to catch a performance at the
Grand-Théâtre. Completed in 1780, this is an imposing neoclassical building imbued with all the grandeur due you'd expect from an opera house in France -- and it is easily one of the best and most elaborate buildings in Bordeaux.
Official Tourism Website: www.bordeaux-tourisme.com
