Whatever the weather, morning frost, rainy day, or cold wind, day after day, hooded men and women work in vineyards. What happen so important in winter to be there ? Pruning is a key work in vineyards life. Each gesture is important as it really engages the grow up of the vine, the quality of the harvest…

Since an half century shape of cognac vineyard has changed, from low trained, narrowly-spaced vines to high-trained with 3 meters on average between each row. Pruning method follow the same evolution.

As an evidence, pruning is a crucial moment and cannot be done any which way. The know how of the winegrower is essential. Achieve pruning operation needs to learn about it in school and then experience. On this video, it seems to be simple, but he is an experimented guy. Pruning shear on hand, when  you are in front of your first vine, it is not so easy, even if you were a good student. It seems that the vine is not similar as that you have learned !

Nevertheless several methods are authorized depending for the vine, the choice of the winegrower, the age of the vine…

Traditional pruning method here is arch-trained or horizontally-tied Double Guyot and Guyot Poussard. On each side of the trunk, a long branch is kept with 8 to 10 buds.

With grapevine trunk diseases, a worldwide  plague on which numerous teams of international researchers work, such  INRA in France,  the pruning is now an issue of great importance.

Then theses branches are binded to the wire in an arch or horizontally

. Pneumatic tools are a great help for this operation requring, however, some physical strength and patience !

Hundred and hundred hours are necessary to end pruning, a winter time work. Cognac vineyards represent 75 000 ha !

At the end of the rows vans and cars are used as rear base for pruning material, and mobile cafeteria : french saucisson and home made “pâtés, bread and cheese, coffee, wine (with moderation!) water, essential to get through the day…  for theses tough guys and girls in their vines .