Lamb's lettuce (Valerianella locusta), this modest annual herbaceous plant from the Valerianaceae family, is much more than a simple salad. Rightly nicknamed "winter lettuce", it embodies nature's resilience, offering its edible leaves even when the cold sets in. Native to the temperate regions of Europe and western Asia, it is distinguished by its rosettes of dark green, smooth and tender leaves, borne by short branched stems. Its flowering, which is discreet, stretches from May to October, and its size can vary from a few centimetres to nearly half a metre depending on the varieties and growing conditions.

Lamb's lettuce, an ancient vegetable at the heart of the vineyard

At Château Cazebonne, lamb's lettuce, like other vegetables, naturally finds its place in our Vineyard Garden. This coexistence between the vine rows and the market garden plots is no coincidence, but a return to ancestral practices, back to a time when vineyards were true agrosystems, combining food crops and viticulture. Francis, with his project of growing vegetables in "joualles" – these small plots interspersed between the vines – perpetuates a tradition that enriches the biodiversity of our soils and offers our tables produce of incomparable quality and flavour.

Sustainable farming in the service of biodiversity

The cultivation of lamb's lettuce at Cazebonne is part of a global agroecological approach. It contributes to the health of our soils and the diversity of our ecosystem. Practising market gardening in the vineyards encourages the presence of beneficial organisms and improves soil structure. This approach not only allows us to diversify the estate's production but also strengthens our vineyard's resilience in the face of climate challenges.

A considered choice, echoing the history of the grape varieties

This choice to grow lamb's lettuce and other ancient vegetables at Château Cazebonne is part of a broader approach, that of rediscovering and promoting the historical grape varieties of Bordeaux, these sometimes-forgotten varieties that have shaped the identity of our terroir. This long-term work, this audacity to replant grape varieties that had disappeared from the Bordeaux wine landscape, is made possible thanks to the unwavering support of a community of enlightened enthusiasts. Their choices, their curiosity and their commitment alongside us are the driving force behind this renaissance.

This work of rediscovering grape varieties and ancestral farming practices, such as growing in joualles, is a continuous exploration of the Bordeaux wine and agricultural heritage. If you are curious to learn more about the fascinating history of the Bordeaux terroirs, do not hesitate to download our book "Bordeaux, une histoire de cépages" here. To test your knowledge and discover new horizons, explore our oenological quizzes. And of course, to discover the fruit of this research and this commitment, through our wines made from these rare and precious grape varieties, all our cuvées are available on the Cazebonne boutique.