Our sustainable approach

For many years at Château de Berne, we have been developing our ecological commitment in a concrete way, and today we are positioned as a sustainable and committed estate. Our aim: to be eco-responsible and to act thoughtfully as inhabitants of this planet.

Our vineyard

The 150 hectares of our vineyard were certified organic in February 2021.

For our vines, we only use bio-control products approved for organic viticulture. We no longer use any insecticides. We also use herbal teas for their effect on the soil.

Our vineyards are planted with grass, which allows for the addition of inexpensive organic matter, the development of life in the soil and better retention of water and mineral salts.

Protecting the biological activity of our soils is essential. That's why we're experimenting with the "pants test". This test consists of burying pants and measuring their condition after several months underground. The more decomposed they are, the more active the soil.

Our domain

At Château de Berne, we recognise the essential role played by bees and pollinating insects in agriculture and biodiversity. We are proud to have been awarded the Bee-Friendly label in 2022.

Our estate has also held level 3 High Environmental Value (HVE) certification for several years, in response to the needs expressed during the Grenelle de l'Environnement summit on the economic, environmental and social aspects of a farm.

At Château de Berne, 49 cattle, 11 sheep and 64 goats are reared in eco-pasture. We also have a sheepfold with sheep and goats. The well-being of our animals is our priority. We make sure they are comfortable and have redesigned their pens to provide them with a quality habitat.

Our wines

Our estate offers a range of rosé, red and white wines, all with organic labels. Vinification is carried out using indigenous yeasts selected on the estate, thus accentuating the authenticity of our wines. Part of the harvest is done by hand and at night.

Our tanks are made of mirror-polished stainless steel to limit the use of hygiene products and water, and we recycle the filtered earth and marc. Bottling and logistics take place on the same site. All our trolleys are electric and our premises are equipped with LED lights.

We use unprinted kraft cardboard and recycled paper on the inside. Our wooden pallets are ISPM15 certified and our bottle tops are made from cork, a recyclable material. In our production chain, we mainly use cardboard, plastic and glass. We have dedicated containers for each type of waste. Our teams are aware of the importance of sorting and we have a cocardboard compactor. Once compacted, the cardboard is recycled.

We've created a Bern light bottle (130g lighter than our other bottles). By making lighter bottles, we use less energy. From the outset, we have always placed an eco-responsible approach at the heart of our wine production. Our aim is to offer a luxury product that is also eco-responsible.

Our hotel

At Château de Berne, we practise selective sorting and have containers for each type of waste. We limit the use of plastic as much as possible and aim to eliminate it completely within the next few years.

The hotel is equipped with low-energy light bulbs. The hotel car park is equipped with four double charging points for electric vehicles.

We encourage our guests to go green during their stay. Bed linen is automatically changed every two days. Only towels left on the bathroom floor are replaced. We use eco-responsible products for cleaning our rooms.

Our establishment seeks to preserve the surrounding natural environment. There are wooded strips around built-up areas, and we take care to minimise the visual impact of new construction. To prevent the risk of fire, which is very common in our region, we are extremely careful about recycling flammable waste.

Our restaurants

Our three restaurants offer sustainable and organic cuisine. We have a locavore approach and use only local producers.

Our estate has three kitchen gardens. Over 3,000 m2 of vegetables, berries, fruit, herbs and flowers are grown organically.

Our restaurants have done away with plastic straws and now use biodegradable straws. We use glass bottles and provide empty wine bottles free of charge.

Since January 2021, our Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Jardin de Berne, has been awarded a green star for its sustainable gastronomy. This is the culmination of several years' work on a daily basis by all the teams on the estate.