Pruning is referred to in French as a “shaping” operation that prepares each vine before the year’s growth begins. It involves selecting one or two fruit-bearing canes and cutting off the rest. The canes selected are those that will bear the future harvest. Pruning takes a long time, 4 months, and is carried out in difficult conditions during winter. It needs to be done carefully with thought in order to restrict each vine’s growth to its growing space, in terms of height, width and properly in line. The continued development of the vine in the year following the next harvest also needs to be anticipated. Our seven vineyard workers have just finished this marathon. Well done! You’ve done some great work to prepare for the 2018 vintage.
Worth a photo!