Here Comes Summer!

First, let’s wind back clocks: vines woke up from their winter rest at the end of April. It is then said that it “cries” because the sap, rising in the plant to revive it, seems to form tears at the exact point where the vine-grower carried out his pruning work during the winter.

In May, the pace picks up: over just a few weeks, the buds break out and then give way to foliage. At this stage, the vine-grower removes the buds that will not produce grapes: it is the disbudding step.

Flowering follows closely: it happened this year at the end of May, quite quickly and uniformly, and it allowing for the fruits to form, then grow and mature until the time of harvest.

From there, the summer work of the vine-grower becomes capital: the hot and dry climate of Provence requires constant vigilance.
The first task is to better manage the vines’ water supply: soil work continues in order to eliminate competition from the plant cover (herbs, grasses, legumes) and ensure that the vine can absorb even the slightest drop of rain.
This year and to date, vines are doing well and are not suffering from lack of water.

Vines must then be allowed to benefit from precise and measured sunshine. At La Mascaronne, the vines are planted in a North-South axis; we therefore thin the East side only so that the bunches benefit from the softer rays of the rising sun, and that they are protected from the afternoon light, which is more aggressive.
We also cut the tops of the vines so that their vigor is contained and directed towards the grapes, but not too much to ensure good photosynthesis.

Far from a period of complete rest: during summer, the vineyard requires daily support until the harvest…