Vineyard work
THE PLANTATION - April
It is done in March or April. The grape varieties used in Champagne are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (a few anecdotal grape varieties: Pinot Blanc, Petit Mélier, as well as Arbane). It will be necessary to wait four years before reaping the fruits of the young plantations. Knowing that the lifespan of a vine is 30 to 50 years, plantations are done only very rarely.
PRUNING - February 15 to April 15
Pruning time marks the beginning of a new year for the growth of the vine. Pruning makes it possible to rejuvenate the vine and to select the fruit-bearing woods. Useless wood is then crushed or left on the ground in the rows. After decomposition, they will serve as natural fertilizers. We prune at this time to prevent the woods from suffering from severe winter frosts.
TYING UP - March to April
The vine being originally a liana, it needs to be supported to gain height. Tying consists of tying the pruning wood selected by the winegrower to the binder wire, located approximately 50 and 60 cm from the ground depending on the type of pruning. It gives meaning and stability to each plant.
TILLAGE - April to end of July
Plowing (between the plants) is carried out approximately once a month to eliminate the grass under the plants, in order to avoid excessive water competition. Generally, we combine this intervention with mowing the grass between the rows.
DEBUDDING - May
It consists of removing the non-fruiting buds so that they do not divert the sap from the main buds. It allows better aeration of the plants and thus effectively fights against vine-ravaging fungi (mildew, powdery mildew, rot).
LIFTING AND TRELLISING - June
As the growth progresses, the trellis wires are raised to maintain the strands, and to avoid disorderly growth. We can then separate each stock with staples to allow good trimming and good ventilation of the bunches, in order to avoid mildew, powdery mildew and rot.
TRIMMING - June to August
From the end of June until the start of the harvest, we trim the vines using a high-clearance tractor (a tractor used in Champagne to work the vines) equipped with a trimmer. We remove shoots without grapes to reduce vegetation. This work gives more light to the grapes. It thus prevents humidity inside the plants.
HARVEST - September
They take place 90 to 100 days after the flowering of the vine. The date of the harvest is set for each Champagne commune by the Interprofessional committee. Champagne wines. They are exclusively manual in Champagne. For the quality of the wine, it is important to keep the bunches whole, which is why the harvesting machine is prohibited in our vineyard. We transport the grapes in boxes of around 45 kilos in order to best preserve their quality.
We carry out the harvest with a team of 10 to 15 pickers. At Champagne CORDEUIL Father & Daughter, tradition obliges, the pickers are fed, housed, throughout the harvest. The elders return in large numbers, always happy to come and share a moment of conviviality. Other newcomers come to discover the traditional harvest, always more festive.