Soil might not be the most glamourous aspect of wine appreciation... it doesn’t sparkle, it isn’t seductively aromatic, and no one ever swirls a wine glass and says, ‘oooh yes, lovely crumb structure’. And yet, spend any time with growers who are serious about the longterm health of their vineyards, and the conversation almost always ends up… under your boots.
Healthy soil isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s the engine room of a vineyard. It feeds vines slowly and steadily, manages moisture levels when rain is scarce or threatens to overwhelm, and helps vineyards cope with the increasingly erratic weather that climate change delivers. In other words, good soil is fundamental to vine resilience.
The Regenerative Viticulture Foundation describes soil as a living system rather than an inert growing medium: one that needs roots, cover, biology and structure to function properly. You can see that thinking – sometimes instinctive, sometimes very deliberate – running through the work of many of The Society’s Pioneers. Three of them, in very different places, show how this plays out in practice.
Barberani: feeding the life beneath old vines
In Umbria, Barberani’s oldest vineyards are around 50 years old. Keeping vines alive and productive for that long depends on soils that are doing a lot of quiet work behind the scenes.
Here, soil health is about biology first. Cover crops such as fava beans are planted to keep the soil green, add organic matter and support microbial life. The top layer of soil stays active rather than compacted or stripped bare.
Tillage is kept to a minimum and avoided wherever possible. The reasoning is simple: disturb the soil too much and you oxidise organic matter, losing the humus that helps soils retain water and nutrients. Instead, Barberani lets roots, worms and microbes do the heavy lifting. It’s a patient approach – but one that supports vine health, grape quality and longevity year after year.
Château d’Anglès: structure, cover and water in a drying landscape
At Château d’Anglès in La Clape, between Narbonne and the sea, water is the defining challenge. Rainfall in this part of the Languedoc has dropped sharply over the last decade, turning an already dry Mediterranean landscape into something close to semiarid.
Here, soil health and water management are inseparable. Permanent cover crops protect the soil surface, reduce evaporation and improve rainfall infiltration when it does arrive. Rather than mowing, vegetation is rolled or crushed, keeping the soil covered without excessive disturbance.
Crucially, the estate avoids tillage altogether. Preserving soil structure allows water to move down through the profile and encourages vines to root deeply. Combined with soil-moisture sensors and carefully controlled underground drip irrigation, this helps vines stay balanced and productive even in hot, dry years.
Planeta – Co-living with Sicilian soils
Sicily brings its own challenges: heat, wind, fire risk and erosion. Planeta’s vineyards span very different sites, and their soil management reflects that diversity rather than applying a single formula everywhere.
Cover crops are used where they make sense, and spontaneous vegetation is left where it already does the job well. In the hottest months, soils may be kept clear to reduce fire risk, but organic matter from earlier cover crops is worked back into the system to feed the soil rather than removed from it.
Add to this, large areas of uncultivated land, native vegetation and habitat restoration, and a broader picture emerges: vineyards as part of a living landscape, not isolated production units. It’s a pragmatic, context-led approach to soil health – and a resilient one.
Why it matters
While the details for all three producers differ, the principle is the same. Healthy soils act like shock absorbers. They soak up heavy rain, hold onto moisture in drought, support life above and below ground and feed vines slowly with nutrition to help them stay fighting fit.
None of this is flashy. But it’s foundational work – and one of the reasons these growers are better placed to deal with what the climate is throwing at them.
Great wine still starts in the vineyard. And more often than not, it starts by looking down at what lies beneath your feet – and taking soil seriously.
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