The vineyards

Never cast a clout!

In spring the vineyard comes to life.  The first leaves are appearing in our various plots, the earliest in our vineyards located in the Couchois region of southern Burgundy. The warmer climate here than in the Châtillonnaise region means the vines enter the more phenolic stage more quickly.

To prepare for their arrival, we have to "bind" the shoots, known in French as baguettes. This technique consists of attaching the vine shoot to the wire by means of a tie to protect the baguettes from excessive wind or physical stress. In the past, this binding was performed with moistened strands of reed that the winegrower tied around the wood. The rush is now replaced by a paper tie wrapped around a wire frame. Tying is always done by hand using a tying tool or an electric tying machine.The vine is a creeper that needs to be disciplined, and this process also steers the growth in the desired direction so as to ensure the grapes are well distributed.