Faire du bio ! Faire du terroir ? Le terroir viticole de Gaillac au risque de l'agriculture biologique

Summary translation

The case of Gaillac is very illustrative of the present quick rise in organic farming, which sets a new frame for the entire vineyard. Does such trend mean that both traditional terroir and AOC system have become irrelevant to organic wine productions? Or could it be, the other way round, that going organicmight help both reframing the terroir and bringing the appellation system up to date, in line with the new expectations of consumers? To tackle these questions, we here focus on the organic producers, their representations and practices. The analysis of thirty semi-structured interviews leads us to identify several groups, according to the way they redefine the concept of ‘terroir’. These either focus on the local ecosystem, stress on creativity, or are eager to reactivate the geographical appellation.