THE VINEYARD
During winter, the vine is in its dormant stage. This is when winegrowers carry out pruning, a crucial step to control the plant’s vigor and regulate its yield.
Goal: promote the quality of future grape clusters and ensure the vine is well-aerated.
Period: typically from December to February,.
As spring arrives and temperatures rise, the vine awakens from dormancy. Buds start to swell and eventually open — this is called budburst.
Small green shoots appear, marking the start of the new vegetative cycle.
Note: this stage is highly sensitive to frost.
The vine enters a phase of rapid growth: shoots elongate, leaves develop, and the vine begins intense photosynthesis.
Inflorescences (the future grape clusters) also begin to appear.
The vine’s flowers begin to bloom — this is the flowering stage, and it's a key moment in the cycle. It usually lasts 8 to 15 days.
A successful and uniform flowering with good weather ensures good pollination, which is crucial for a quality harvest.
Golden rule: the harvest usually takes place about 100 days after flowering.
Once the flowers are fertilized, they develop into small green berries — this is called fruit set.
This marks the start of grape formation.
The grapes begin to change color: red varieties turn from green to purple, while white varieties become translucent yellow.
This is the beginning of sugar accumulation and the softening of the berries.
A critical phase, as it marks the start of ripening.
The grapes reach maturity: they grow larger, accumulate sugars, aromas, and their acidity decreases.
The winemaker monitors this closely to decide the optimal harvest time.
The grapes are picked by hand or by machine, depending on the type of wine being made.
The quality of the grapes at harvest time determines the quality of the wine.
After the leaves fall, the vine enters dormancy once again.
It rests and prepares for the next growth cycle, while the winegrower begins soil preparation or winter pruning.
