In order to preserve the natural environment, the monks at the Abbaye de Lérins have opted for “reasoned agriculture” (halfway between “conventional” agriculture and organic agriculture). This agricultural method takes into all account the balance and the preservation of the environment.

No herbicides are used; the preparation of the soil and weeding are undertaken using mechanical equipment. In the same way insecticides are avoided via the implementation of a special organic farming program aimed to protect the vines from disease and parasites. These techniques give protection from the various diseases by providing “reasonable resistance”. Every disease is meticulously studied in order to anticipate its effects by applying at a chosen moment the phytosanitary treatments which are more respectful of the natural growth and characteristics of the plants. This method considerably reduces the need for chemical treatments and permits the use of natural products which can be easily removed from the grapes during maturation.

On Saint Honorat, the pruning and bud removal are done manually as is the harvesting of the grapes. Thinning (picking selected as yet unripe grapes), a method used only by the producers of top quality wines, is also applied. This method consists of eliminating surplus clusters to improve the distribution of remaining clusters. The aim is to reduce the size of the harvest in order to ensure a better quality of grape.