All you need to know about the winegrowers' calendar: from the vineyard to the cellars

What happens to a winegrower as the months go by in the vineyard and in the cellar? The grape harvest, which is a big event, is only one part of the winegrower's calendar. The latter is rich and is organised around life in the vineyard and the rhythm of the seasons.

During the first years of its life, the vine grows, spreads its roots deep but does not produce grapes. Thanks to the work of the winegrower, after 4 or 5 years, the vine finally starts to produce grapes. The calendar also varies according to the region, the climate, the type of viticulture, organic, conventional, biodynamic and also simply the winegrower who works his soil and his wine as he feels it.

January: the time of pruning

This is the time of pruning, which sometimes begins in December and lasts until March. As the winemakers say, they make the vine "cry" by making drops of sap appear at the incisions. It is thanks to the pruning that the winegrower can "choose" to have his vines produce in more or less quantity, and the quantity and quality of the grapes depends on the pruning. By pruning his vines, the winegrower "imposes" a path to take. Few shoots will mean few grapes, but of better quality. The more wood the winegrower keeps on his vine stock, the more grapes it will produce.

It is all a question of yield and quality of the berries. This period is essential for the winegrower and already augurs well for the quality of the wine he will produce the following year.

February: thinking about the future

It is the continuation of pruning but also the taking of cuttings for future plantations. The young vines are called "plantiers".

March: the time of ploughing

These are the very last sizes before the vine awakens. The time for ploughing has come. The winegrower has to "loosen" the vines (bring the earth back towards the middle of the alley) and then "decavaillon" (pull the earth around the feet towards the middle of the alley).

This can be done with a horse to avoid crushing the soil or with a tractor. The machine, which is faster, allows for large vineyards a more efficient and less costly and tiring work for the winegrower.

April: the time of the "palissage" (trellising)

The time has come for planting and trellising. The vine shoots that have become "soft" must be supported and are therefore attached to rows of wire (2 or 3 horizontal rows held by stakes). This trellising allows the vine to be raised and to make it evolve in height, to aerate it and to shade the vine stock and the bunches of grapes. It is also a technique that allows during the harvest to pass a tractor between the rows to harvest the grapes mechanically.

May: we protect the vine

In May, the winegrower protects his vines as well as possible with ploughing for weeding or spraying to prevent attacks of oïdium and mildew, the major diseases of the vine.

June: flowering

It's the flowering period, the grape berries are taking shape. These flowers appear at the beginning of June, when the temperature is around 20°C, the bunches bloom and exhale a light perfume. It is on this flowering that the number of berries (grains) per cluster depends.

July: last straight line before the harvest

Last moment to treat the vine against possible diseases and to cut the vine shoots that are too long. Only the weather now influences the future harvest, we know that the harvest is done 100 days after flowering.

August: the calm before the storm

Tilling the soil is not recommended at this time of the year. You should hope for some sunshine by doing some maintenance work in the vineyards. It is also the time of the "green harvest" which consists in removing certain bunches of grapes in order to favour the development and improve the quality of the remaining bunches. It is also the period when the winegrower can take a few days of rest before the big rush of the autumn.

September : We are active in the vineyard

This is the greatest moment in the life of the winegrower. The harvest begins around the middle of the month as soon as the grapes have reached optimum ripeness. Sometimes mechanized, the harvest remains manual for the great vintages and for the sweet wines where it is necessary to pass several times in the rows to pick only the bunches which present noble rot. Then follows the work in the cellar for the vinification.

October: towards the winery

The harvest sometimes takes longer, especially for sweet wines, but it is in the cellar that the winegrower is the busiest.

The wine is in full fermentation and the time for choices has come. The winemaker watches over his wine in the vats or in barrels on a daily basis to control sugars, alcoholic and sometimes malolactic fermentations. A very heavy and decisive work.

November: preparing for winter

The vinification continues and is nearing its end, the fermentations are finished. It is now the preparation of the winter. In order to be properly protected from frost, the vines are "butted" (covered with earth) to the vine and the barrels kept warm.