Annual Life Cycle Of The Vine

Weeping

WEEPING

February (Northern Hemisphere)

August (Southern Hemisphere)

Weeping is a sign the vine is waking up. As the climate warms, the vine's roots start collecting water. Sap then rises through the vine and oozes out of the cane ends. Vines tend to loose between half and 5 1/2 litres of sap through this process Weeping is the beginning of the viticultural process and is the sign to prune for Spring.

BUD-BREAK

March-April (Northern Hemisphere)

September-October (Southern Hemisphere)

In the Spring time (typically 20-30 days after the vine starts to weep), the buds open. Different varieties bud-break at different times. The type of soil also affects the process. Clay for instance slows things up, whilst sand (which is a better conduit of heat) speeds things up. The vines are particularly susceptible to frost at bud-break. Pruning carries on for about a month at this stage, with the vines secured to their training frames.

BUNCHES BEGIN TO APPEAR/FOLIAGE

April-May (Northern Hemisphere)

October-November (Southern Hemisphere)

Initially, leaves begin appearing on the vine. After 4 or 5 leaves shoot out, small embryonic bunches take shape. This is the first indication of the size of the harvest. At this stage spraying typically occurs to ward off creepy crawlies - this continues until the harvest. These sprays are often combined with fertilizer to feed the vine.

FLOWERING

May-June (Northern Hemisphere)

November-December (Southern Hemisphere)

The embryo bunches break into flower. The flowers' pollination and fertilisation lasts about a week or two. This is another very sensitive time for the vine - the weather must be dry and frost free. Most importantly the temperature must be sufficient to enable the vine to flower (at least 15°c).

FRUIT SET

June-July (Northern hemisphere)

December-January (Southern hemisphere)

After flowering, the berries rapidly swell and form into grapes. The number of grapes per bunch varies from variety to variety. Summer pruning occurs at this stage to encourage the vine to focus its energy on making fruit, with fruit that is not properly developed pruned. Some vignerons at this stage weed, others do not, and allow the weeds to grow before they are cut down and ploughed back in the soil to provide green manure.

GRAPE RIPENING

August (Northern Hemisphere)

January (Southern Hemisphere)

The grape's skin now turns a different colour (the French call this veraison). At this stage the sugar content increases dramatically, and the harsh malic acid (the acid of apples) diminishes while the softer tartaric acid becomes more prevalent. Tartaric acid remains the dominant acid in the grape after this.

The vines leaves and foliage are thinned at this stage to increase the grape's access to air, which in turn discourages rot. Grapes tasted at this stage are still sour and not yet mature.

HARVESTING

August-October (Northern hemisphere)

February-March (Southern hemisphere)

Tradition dictates that harvesting happens 100 days after flowering. In practise the harvest ordinarily starts in mid to late September in the Northern Hemisphere (mid to late February in the Southern Hemisphere). As with all harvests, the exact time of picking is determined by the weather to a certain extent. Grape variety, sugar levels and acidity levels are also of paramount importance in determining harvest time. Testing for sugar and acidity levels is frequent in the final days before harvesting. Harvesting can last for days, weeks, or even a month or more, dependant on a variety of factors (e.g. whether grapes are picked by hand, or whether mechanisation is used). White grapes are harvested before black, partially so they retain a higher acidity balance.

BOTRYTIS

November-December (Northern Hemisphere)

April-May (Southern Hemisphere)

In November the vine's sap retreats to protect the vine's root system. Remaining grapes start to dehydrate. Grapes begin to raisin on the vine. In certain vineyards, botrytis cinerea, or noble rot, is actively encouraged.

EISWEIN

December-January (Northern Hemisphere)

May-June (Southern Hemisphere)

In Germany and Austria, when botrytis has failed to occur on some grapes, vignerons may look for frost or snow to freeze the grapes, so that they can make Eiswein. In Eiswein making, only the water freezes. This frozen water can be separated once the grapes are pressed to leave a concentrated unfrozen pulp which is the basis for this rarest of wines.