WE’RE TALKING ABOUT BLOOMING!

Between the end of May and the beginning of June, it’s flowering time!

It marks a crucial stage in the vine’s life cycle! It generally occurs after the leaves appear and is triggered by good weather conditions, such as higher temperatures and increased exposure to the sun. This is also when the bunches of flowers emerge, which will later give rise to the grapes!

It’s also a sensitive period for us, as the flowers can be vulnerable to spring frosts and attacks by insect pests and fungi. These factors can have an impact on the quality and quantity of the future harvest. So we need to be extra vigilant!

The quality of the flowering will also tell Franck about the yield of his harvest. In fact, there’s a rule that sets the date of harvest at 100 days after flowering!

DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT FRUIT SET?  

Fruit set occurs after flowering. Once the flowers have faded and been fertilised, the ovules turn into fruit, and so the setting process begins. This is when the tiny grapes start to form!

At the beginning, the grape is still very small, about the size of a pepper seed, firm and susceptible to diseases that can affect the leaves of the vine. This is why this period is critical for us, which must be attentive to the care and treatments necessary to protect the grappes in development.

If flowering has been optimal, the bunches will have uniformly sized berries. However, there is still a condition known as “millerandage”, which results in bunches with berries of unequal size. Some berries may be larger, while others will be very small and underdeveloped.

This is a critical period when the bunches of grapes take shape and begin to develop. We need to pay close attention to the health of the vines and take steps to prevent disease and ensure healthy grape growth. Successful fruit set is essential to guarantee a quality harvest and optimum ripeness of the grapes later in the season!

A LITTLE STRIPPING!

During the summer, leaf removal is an important part of Franck’s work. This stage consists of removing and cutting back the leaves that could block out the sun from the bunches of grapes. The aim is to ensure that the grapes receive as much sunlight as possible, so that they ripen better and reduce the risk of certain diseases. Leaf removal can be carried out manually or mechanically.

As with any growth phase, at this stage the grapes will increase in volume.

Other stages will follow, and we’ll be talking about them shortly in our series of articles,

« La Vinia’ Soustres » !  

See you soon, 

Räyann