The size of the vine for a fresh start!

After leaving their land to rest after harvest, the growers in return for cutting vines. It is true that after one growing season – which has dragged in length – and punctuated by falling leaves many impatient to see happen, soils and vines had much needed rest. The rest was once interrupted by a light tillage and possible correction of the balance of the soil. But today, everybody is activated because the time to prune! Step essential and of major importance, the size is the cornerstone of a long series that will bring the vineyard to build the success of his future harvest 2010. Let us together on the interest of the size, origin, a few guidelines to follow, the different types of size in the region and its future.


Why does one size the vine?

The vine is a vine forest that tends to go on and what size would require only to be able to move in the vine rows. A vine undressed produces many grapes, but small and acidic, therefore uninteresting for the production of quality wine. Leave a vine without cutting it would also bring too much irregularity in the volume of harvest. We must therefore retain the potential to cut quality and ensure sustainability of the vineyard.

After leaving their land to rest after harvest, the growers in return for cutting vines. It is true that after one growing season – which has dragged in length – and punctuated by falling leaves many impatient to see happen, soils and vines had much needed rest. The rest was once interrupted by a light tillage and possible correction of the balance of the soil. But today, everybody is activated because the time to prune! Step essential and of major importance, the size is the cornerstone of a long series that will bring the vineyard to build the success of his future harvest 2010. Let us together on the interest of the size, origin, a few guidelines to follow, the different types of size in the region and its future.

Why does one size the vine?

The vine is a vine forest that tends to go on and what size would require only to be able to move in the vine rows. A vine undressed produces many grapes, but small and acidic, therefore uninteresting for the production of quality wine. Leave a vine without cutting it would also bring too much irregularity in the volume of harvest. We must therefore retain the potential to cut quality and ensure sustainability of the vineyard.

The size of the vine will have three broad objectives:

• Train strain. That is to say, fighting against its development in length causing excessive elongation of the branches of the vine. In technical terms, one speaks of the struggle against acrotonie.
• Normalize the number and volume of future clusters of grapes to be harvested and matured correctly.
• Limit the number of buds to adapt to the possibilities of the vineyard environment for a suitable force and ensure the sustainability of the vineyard. An oversized exhausts the vine.

The legend of the size quality.

A legend would associate the origin of the size of the vine qualitative donkeys. These companions of man, needy but greedy, fueled many stories in the vineyard. Indeed, a grower would have observed that vines – whose branches had been trimmed and eaten in winter by his donkeys – gave at the next harvest the best grapes! He then repeated the experiment himself, and cut short all the branches of his vineyard. Its success was dazzling! The quality of his wines was such that he became a wine merchant the most prosperous region, fanning the envy of all its neighbors. He treasured his secret and became so rich and busy that he no longer found time to take care of his donkeys. He sold them to anybody. The priest – who had some vines – hungry asses recovery. So when the donkeys arrived home, they rushed on the vines to eat the branches. “Misery” thought the man. It was without counting on the happy surprise awaited him at the next harvest. The man immediately understood the benefits of pruning and eager to share his experience with his friends wine makers. The original owner saw his empire competed and sank into depression. The donkey died and the priest erected a statue on the town square in honor of the initiators of the quality wine growing.