The never ending work in the vineyard

A great contrast to the Christmas period when it was warm enough for swimming in the Atlantic in Biarritz and parts of central Europe which are normally knee-deep in snow had short-sleeve shirt weather.

I arrived in France recently in a raging blizzard and most of the vineyards in south-west France were covered in a blanket of snow for several days.

So, if you have been wrapping up against the elements, spare a thought for the hundreds of vineyard workers, doggedly out pruning the vines come rain, shine or snow

Anyone who has ever grown a vine will know that they grow like crazy.

Hence the need to prune in winter, ready for the next season’s growth.

With often many acres of vineyards to be tended, this naturally takes time, starting in November and finishing some time in mid-March, depending on the region and the climate.

With more and more mechanisation coming into all industries, pruning is the one task where this is impossible.

A vine can produce dozens of shoots during the growing season, some producing the desired grapes and others just producing foliage.

The skilled task of the pruner is to eliminate all the shoots except for one or two which are designated the ‘fruiting canes’ for next season’s crop.

Certain fruiting buds also need to be conserved for the following year.

Many different forms of vine training exist around Europe and around the world, each adapted to the grape variety, terroir and climate and requiring different methods of pruning.

But whichever is used, there is no getting away from the fact that it is an onerous task.

Harvesting grapes by hand can be equally demanding, but at least the weather is generally better and considerably warmer.

Grape picking is also rewarding in that you can appreciate the fruits of your labour – quite literally – whereas with pruning all you have at the end of it is a large pile of sticks!

Nevertheless, winter pruning of the vines is considered to be the most important job in the yearly vineyard cycle, determining both the size and to some great extent, quality, of the forthcoming year’s crop.

Nowadays, much of the vine prunings are taken away and mulched for compost.

Some are kept and sold for summer barbecues, the smoke from the burning sticks called ‘sarments’, imparting a wonderful flavour to your entrecote steak.

In the heart of winter, in a muddy field near Santenay at 8 o’clock in the morning, with lead-grey skies, two degrees C and a steady sleet falling, with the prospect of five thousand more vines to go, having your own little bonfire to keep warm is one of life’s essentials and another great use for vine prunings.

Hats off to all vineyard pruners everywhere!