The vine

The vines belong to the ampelideae. They grow mainly in hot areas and include a large number of species. They are climbing plants, composed of roots, the vine shoot, the shoots, the nodes, the buds, the leaves and the fruit: the grapes.

The life of a vine

he life of a vine starts at the end of winter, when the sun starts to get a little warmer. At the end of the shoots, that have been cut down by clippers, glistening droplets of sap start to appear. These droplets are like tears of joy shed by the vine awakened by the flow of new sap. The buds swell and, with the help of the heat and humidity, they open up and cover the vineyard with their little green leaves, in the centre of which, tiny bunches of grapes appear. More and more leaves appear as the ground heats up and the young buds develop quickly. It's this sudden growth that can sometimes make the vine fall victim to spring frosts. With the heat, the branches grow long and start to become invasive and unruly. The vine flowers (mid-June) when the temperature hits the 20°C. The vine now needs long days in the sunshine. The berry forms and grows quickly. Once it is completely formed, it changes from green to a transparent yellow or a deep purple according to the grape varieties. This is the véraison: by the roots and leaves, it fills with sugar until it cannot absorb anymore. Thus, the fruit has matured, it is time to harvest it.

The end of the harvest marks the beginning of a new cycle in the vine's work. The old vines are pulled out. Then , the fruit-bearing cane is cut off with long clippers, and the useless shoots are removed and burned. The vine stock is ready for spring pruning. In December, ther is a repetition this except if the temperatures drop below freezing. Then, peace and quiet until the 22nd of January, St Vincent's Day, which is also the winegrower's day, when pruning takes place. This help to guide, to regulate, and to improve the vine's vegetation and the fruit production. It is a matter of "taming" the vine. The pruning is completed in March, then fertilisers are distributed. This is also the month for grafting on the new plants. In April, the soil of the vine is cleaned, then in May, treatments against parasites, insects, fungus, mildew and oidium are applied. In June, treatment continues and a certain number of grapes with an excessive production are cut. This is called the green harvest. It is a repetition of these activities in July and August. September is the month to thin out the leaves, where the leaves at the grape's level are burnt mechanically, so that grapes are better aired and exposed to sunlight. The end of September and beginning of October, it is harvest-time, the crowning achievement of the viticultural year.

From growing vines to making wines of terroirs

n the continual search for the best possible quality, wine-growing methods have been put into question for a long time. For several years, it has become clear that the Burgundian terroirs were endangered and that the wine-growing method had to be changed to go on producing great wines. The influence of vine-growing on the wine quality can be appraised on two different levels: in term of organoleptic quality and sanitary quality of the grapes.

To obtain the best organoleptic quality, the aim is to obtain the best "raw material". Thus, the pruning, the ébroussage, the green harvest, the manual harvest and a rigorous selection permit the achievement of the best possible raw material.

Moreover, tying and leaf-thinning encourage the photosynthesis, improve the grape's maturity and reduce the quantity of fertilisers required.

The sanitary quality of the grapes depends on the growing method. From organic farming to classic farming, through to biodynamy, a growing method respecting the soils, the objective is to strengthen the immune system of the plant and to intervene when the vineyard is running certains risks. There is a large number of growing methods. Each of them has precise specifications, whose choice corresponds to a conciliation between efficiency and respect of the environment.

However, whatever the chosen method of growing, none is a guarantee of organoleptic quality. Yet today, all methods tend to reduce the use of fertilisers to its minimum in order to obtain sound grapes, to preserve natural yeast and at the same time to favour the life of the soils and to preserve the crops. In this spirit, fungicides are suppressed and ploughing replaces chemical weeding to favour the life of the soils where the plant will draw its reserves.

To conclude, in their search for the best possible organoleptic quality, the Burgundian viticultural domaines have made the best possible sanitary quality one of their objectives. A way to combine respect of the environment and of consumers with the production of wines true to their terroirs. It proves that the terroirs are not only the work of Man but also of Nature.