Our estate is located in Champagne, near Château-Thierry. We produce our Champagnes from Pinot meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot noir grapes.
How long have you been using MGV-Balligand cloverleaf mowers?
We’ve been using Balligand cloverleaf mowers for several years, and recently bought two new ones. We mow about two or three times a year, on fairly tall grass, going over one row at a time with a straddle mower. We use them mainly on plantations that are a few years old, averaging 7 to 8 years, and sometimes in between plantations with 2 or 3 stakes.
Can you tell us about the particularities of the Champagne terroir and the environment in which your vineyards are located?
We are planted at a height of one meter by one meter on different types of terrain, from stone and small pebbles to clay and silt. We sometimes work on slopes of 30 or 35%. The mowing surface is around 3 hectares.
Why do you use them?
We turned to inter-row mowers as an alternative to tillage. Soil tillage has its limits, and with these mowers we can recover what we couldn’t do with mechanical tillage.
How did you find out about them?
We first tried them via another grower who lent them to us after we saw the advert on the vine.
What do you think are the main advantages of the company and its interceps mowers?
Parts replacement is very fast, the company is reactive, and we receive parts within 48 hours, so there’s no time wasted. It’s also a tool that’s easy to repair. Generally speaking, it doesn’t need much maintenance; it’s mostly wear parts. There’s also a desire to improve every year, because between the first machines I bought and the latest ones, there have been innovations.
Can you tell us about the settings and ease of use?
It’s a very easy tool to use, and in a few minutes you can start mowing, and in general respecting the vines, it’s rare to have a problem.
Are there any other important aspects of your experience that you’d like to highlight?
We had the opportunity to visit the site, and the company is very serious with a really available boss.
