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The vine through the seasons

A well timed year!

Understand what the work of the winemaker consists of over the seasons. From pruning to harvesting, he will put into practice all his know-how, bring all the necessary care to the soil, to the plants... with respect and passion for the profession.

The month of March offers the first sweetness of the sun, warming the vines still benumbed by the frost, and forced to rest for a few months.
Emerging from its torpor as soon as the thermometer rises a few degrees and the sun is more present, nature resolutely takes the path of growth: the vines then begin a new vegetative cycle evolving with the rhythm of the seasons.
Certainly, the know-how of the winegrower and the techniques applied throughout the cycle will be decisive in the good health of his vineyard. However, many variables over which man cannot exercise the slightest control will influence the vine until the harvest of its precious berries. In this sense, the climate will constantly guide the winegrower in the management of his vineyard, thus determining the quality of the wine, but always with respect for the environment.

December to February

The pruning of the vine can begin from the moment it has entered vegetative rest (the leaves have fallen, the sap has descended). It can therefore start around November until March (preferably from January).
This phase is very important because it will condition good fruiting. It will also limit the growth of the vine, which, without it, would grow excessively over the years. The technique consists of selecting buds, also called eyes. This reduces the number of bunches produced per plant, to concentrate the harvest on the selected buds, and in fact increase the size of the bunches.

Mars

A new vegetative cycle begins. The sap rises in the twigs and flows through the scars caused by pruning. It is said that the vine “weeps”.

April

20 to 30 days after the vine cries, the buds come out. They are said to be budding. At this stage, the vine fears spring frosts.

May

Until mid-May, at the famous Ice Saints, spring frosts can still occur, and would jeopardize all or part of the harvest. It is therefore only after that that the work of disbudding takes place, consisting of removing all the useless shoots and favoring those which will give berries. The inflorescence becomes visible.
Recovery operations begin. This consists of raising the strands and stapling them to the trellis, the objective being to allow the vines to capture as much sun as possible, and to ventilate the foliage.

June

Flowering takes place in June. It is estimated that the harvest will arrive around 100 days later. Its duration depends on the weather conditions: in hot and sunny weather, it will last about 10 days, longer if these conditions are not met, and can even alter fertilization if it rains too much. This is called millerandage or coulure.
It is also at this time of the year that the trimming operations of the vines begin. There will be some throughout the summer to eliminate regrowth and thus promote fruiting. This will ventilate the foliage and allow good sunlight for the berries.

July

It is at this time of the year that fruit set takes place: the fertilization of the flowers is complete and they turn into berries. The clusters and grains are growing at a brisk pace. The works in the vines follow one another to improve the quality of maturity: we will then proceed to:
- the stripping of the vines to allow maximum sunshine for the fruits and good maturity,
- the removal of excess bunches to concentrate the maturity of the other bunches

August

As the berries get bigger, they will also change color to become purplish (red grape variety), or yellow (white grape variety). This stage is called veraison. The vine then grows more slowly, the vine shoot also changes color (from green to brown), and the real stage of grape maturation begins. The levels of acidity and sugars, the density of mineral salts evolve.

September

The meteorological conditions are decisive at this time of the year in the evolution of the fruit, and in that of the vines. Samples are taken regularly to measure the acidity and sugar levels, the richness of the must… until the right balance is found. These measurements are made with a refractometer or mustimeter, or in the laboratory for more precise data.
The sanitary condition of the vines and the state of maturity of the grapes will determine the date from which the harvest can begin for all the vines of the same Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée. It is “the harvest bench”.

There are 2 harvesting techniques:

Manual: chosen for different reasons:
impossibility of accessing certain plots with a harvesting machine for top-of-the-range cuvées, need to select the harvest as best as possible to preserve the fruit during its harvest compulsory for certain Appellations d'Origine Contrôlée.
Automated: high-performance and increasingly sophisticated equipment now allows:
- Speed and efficiency
- A smaller workforce