THE GREAT EFFERVESCENCE OF SPRING
Spring 2020 in the Rhône Valley is more than lenient for an accelerated development of the vegetation. As a result, the men are confined, but the vineyard flourishes under the first rays of the sun and the welcome rains at the beginning of May.
Thus, our teams in the field have continued to be active since the start of confinement. Ground word is indeed time-consuming, but constitutes a good alternative to the use of vineyard inputs while respecting the environment and the values promoted by Vignobles & Compagnie. At the Château des Sources we also use it to remove grass from the plots, but also to improve soil properties.
Soil and vineyard work
To the work of the soil are joined the work of the vine as the suckering. It is the great effervescence of spring, with in places almost 15 days ahead of the season. Our teams take great care of the very young plots of the Domaine, which our four-legged roommates love. In 2019, we planted 1ha25 of Grenache noir to complete the blends of our Château des Sources vintages. Very young plants that need a well ventilated, draining, living soil …
In the field
The various works on our vineyard in Costières de Nîmes during this spring period are therefore:
Epamprage : horticultural operation consisting in ridding the vines of the twigs (also called vines). This helps to promote the ripening of the fruit branches carrying future grapes.
Hoeing: operation which consists in loosening the surface layer of the soil around the vines with a hoe. An action that promotes the penetration of water into the soil. Evaporation of water from the soil is also limited. In fact, hoeing creates conditions that prevent water from rising to the surface and breaking cracks that appear in the soil when it is very dry. The ridging: an operation that protects the vine stock by bringing soil to the feet.
Ferti-irrigation: a simple process that involves direct supply of nutrients to irrigation water to allow them to be rapidly absorbed by crops.
To be continued…