The vine - a history that is written through the seasons

Throughout the year, winegrowers are constantly busy with their vines. Through all four seasons they put into practice ancient techniques combined with the latest discoveries to produce wines with an international reputation.

Behind each tasting is a year of work !

A journey through time: the lifecycle of the vine

The vine is a plant of the Vitis genus and is a climber. Cultivated by human hand, there are a great many species, among them Vitis vinifera, which provides all the grapes used in Europe, including the Bourgogne region. Without human intervention, it would continue to grow in an uncontrolled manner. Pruning and trimming forces the plant to focus on producing fruit rather than spreading.

Vines mainly grow in hot or temperate regions.
 

The grapevine is a perennial plant, or one with an annual cycle. It comes back to life at the end of the winter months. When the land heats up and the sun is more present, the sap rises and forms droplets on the tips of the pruned branches. Some say when this happens that the vine is “weeping”. This is the sign of a new vintage coming into being. The cycle ends in the fall, after the harvest. When the leaves drop, the vine falls dormant once again, preparing to burst back into life in the spring.

For a grapevine, the year can be divided into 10 key stages (according to Baggiolini). Take a look at these stages in pictures.

 

 

Annual cycle of grapevine growth

Annual cycle of

grapevine growth

Changing tasks through the seasons

 

Pre-pruning, earthing up, pruning, bouéchage… Behind each of these more or less exotic words, you will find an ancient practice, mastered by the winemakers of Bourgogne. Each season demands particular attention for each plot of vines.
From January to December, the men and women of the land work hard to create exceptional wines.

 

The vine

through the seasons

© BIVB / IBANEZ A. / JOLY M
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