Sheep Help a Bordeaux Vineyard Raise Soil Temperatures by 2°C

Château Clarke, a 54-hectare Cru Bourgeois estate in Listrac-Médoc, is using sheep to help protect its vines from spring frost, adding an unusual tool to the range of cold-weather defenses used in Bordeaux.

In the Médoc, overnight temperatures in spring can fall below freezing, putting young vine buds at risk. Bordeaux’s proximity to the Gironde estuary helps moderate temperatures, but inland plots and lower-lying areas can still face sharp drops that threaten yields.

According to the estate, grazing by the flock helped raise soil temperature by about 2°C this year. The effect comes from the animals eating grass and compacting the ground with their hooves, which reduces biomass and changes the vineyard microclimate. With less shading and insulation from vegetation, the soil is more exposed to sunlight and can warm more easily.

Lindsay Lemarchand, vineyard manager at Château Clarke, said the estate escaped major damage this season apart from two “very bad nights” in March. She said protecting the soil from long-term damage is a priority for the property and that keeping sheep in the vineyard during winter supports that approach.

The estate has used sheep in its vineyards for four years. It also relies on more conventional anti-frost measures, including wind towers and candle pots placed between rows.

Across Bordeaux’s Left Bank, growers have long used methods such as wind machines, water sprinkling, plowing and even helicopters to limit frost damage. Château Clarke’s use of livestock points to a lower-energy option that may draw attention from wine producers looking for ways to manage increasingly unpredictable frost events while also reducing pressure on soils and cutting reliance on more intensive interventions.

Château Clarke was acquired by Baron Edmond de Rothschild in 1973.