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The Future is Rosé
Understanding the impact on our fragile ecosystem of the food and drink we enjoy has never been more critical. The winemakers at Château Galoupet care deeply about nurturing nature from ground to glass.
Château Galoupet is situated in the heart of Provence wine country. It has existed on the map since the 18th century as a lieu-dit, a French term used to denote a piece of land with its own distinctive identity. Early maps show an olive grove, an orchard, and pastureland between the plots, as well as a water reservoir carved out of the hillside that still exists on the land. It was referenced on a map commissioned by King Louis XIV and published in the mid-18th century as ‘Le Galoupe’, which subsequent cartographers evolved into ‘Le Galoupet’, meaning ‘to run’. In over 200 years, the owners may have changed, but through wars and political upheaval, the layout of the estate has remained the same.
Once upon a time, cork was even harvested on the ridge from the forest thick with a variety of native plants, from sturdy holm oaks and stone pines to fragrant rosemary, lavender, and catmint.
Environmental Ethos
The Côtes de Provence ecosystem is home to many rare heritage species of bats, birds, and reptiles that continue to thrive on the estate today. Bees play an incredibly important role. With support from the ‘Observatoire Français d’Apidologie’ or French Observatory of Apidology, the estate houses 200 beehives that are home to approximately 50 million bees. Quite a feat to count!
Water management plays a huge part in the estate with irrigation closely and constantly tracked, including restoration of the onsite reservoir that is used to collect rainwater. They use regenerative hydrology as well as sustainable viticulture practices to combat soil erosion. The estate’s agroforestry hedges and intercropping, such as growing wildflowers and companion crops between the vines, also enriches the soil, provides shade, and helps with pest management. The vines are also trained to draw water from deep underground.
As an organic estate, the soil and estate itself is teeming with life. The team cares deeply about the environment and actively strive to preserve and enrich it for generations to come.
The team cares deeply about the environment and actively strive to preserve and enrich it for generations to come.
Sustainability
The brown glass used is 85% from recycled sources and also fully recyclable. The added benefit of coloured glass is to avoid ‘light strike’ and protect the wine from the sun’s ultraviolet rays – the wine equivalent of putting on SPF 50. No paper label and no plastic capsule further reduce waste and the need for additional recycling, and the bottles themselves are lighter than classic wine bottles, therefore reducing their carbon footprint during transport.
Perfectly Paired
Enjoy at our Channel Island hotels on Guernsey and Jersey. Quaff it by itself or pair it perfectly with everything from fresh fish and shellfish to pork and even desserts. Bring on the Eton mess!