Definition: Vegetative cycle of the vine

Bud break occurs in spring, in March or April, as soon as the soil temperature reaches 10°C. The buds swell, burst open and small shoots develop.

Leafing out refers to the stage when leaves form on the shoots.

Flowering takes place in early June, when the vines bloom with a characteristic honey scent.

Fruit set in June-July, the stage when the bunches form.

Veraison in August, the stage during which the berries change colour, i.e. take on their final colour.

Ripening from August to late September-early October. The fruit ripens, the sugar content increases, and the skin becomes thinner.

Taken season by season, the vegetative cycle can be summarised as follows:

In winter, after the harvest, some people dream of the promises of the coming year during the Saint Vincent festival (January) as they examine the fruit covering the ivy. They believe that this allows them to determine the "montre", i.e. the number of buds (and therefore future grapes) that will appear on the vines the following spring. Pruning the vines takes up most of this period.

In spring, the vines begin to grow. Controlling vegetative growth through trellising, trimming and debudding, and protecting the hopes for a good harvest, become daily concerns. Climate variations can cause differences of up to twenty days between an early year and a late year. In the second half of June, flowering is a crucial moment in the annual wine-growing cycle, as the flowers are fertilised by pollen. It requires a dry and warm period, otherwise "coulure" (flower drop) compromises the prospects for a good harvest.

In summer, from July to September, the weather is decisive: hot, dry weather, ensuring that the grapes are exposed to light and sun, gives hope for great vintages. It is essential to regulate the vegetation and protect it from natural aggressions.

Autumn brings the harvest, which begins around 100 days after the middle of flowering. This period varies from year to year, ranging from the end of August – as was the case in Champagne in 1955, for example – to the second ten days of October, as in 1972 and 1984. See Vineyard work.