Working in the vineyard in summer: what you don't see when you drive by

In summer, the vineyards form a green backdrop, undulating in the sun under the Mistral breeze. For many, it's like a postcard. But behind this peaceful landscape, the vines are going through one of the most demanding periods of their cycle... and so are we!

At Domaine des Garances, summer is not a season of rest, but one of daily work, often discreet, yet essential to guarantee the quality of our grapes. Here is a glimpse of what you don't see... when you drive past our rows.

Weeding: keeping the soil alive

Far from chemicals, we favor mechanical or manual weed management. The goal? To preserve the balance between the vines, the grass, and the soil:

• We deliberately leave a light layer of vegetation cover to prevent erosion and promote microbial life.
• We use brush cutters to limit the growth of vegetation cover.

Health monitoring: naturally healthy vines

Summer is a high-risk period for diseases (mildew, etc.) and pests (grape worms). Every day, we observe our vines with the naked eye, leaf by leaf, bunch by bunch:

• To adapt our treatments if necessary (always using sustainable or organic methods),
• To intervene at the right time, never too late, never too early.

This meticulous work prevents a lot of damage... that the general public is unaware of.

Heat and water stress management

With heat waves becoming increasingly frequent, vines must adapt. But we must help them do so:

• By keeping some foliage to protect the grapes from the sun,
• By limiting plowing during the hottest part of the day
• By sometimes leaving grass to dry on the ground to create natural mulch.

Vines are Mediterranean plants, but in summer, every leaf counts for their balance.

Debudding and leaf removal: pruning for better respiration

As early as spring, certain decisive technical steps are taken:

• Debudding: we remove unnecessary shoots to concentrate the sap on the best bunches.
• Thinning: sometimes, the number of bunches is deliberately reduced to favor quality over quantity.
• Leaf removal: leaves are removed from around the bunches to aerate them, reduce the risk of disease, and ensure uniform ripeness.

These manual tasks take time, but are essential for a healthy and balanced harvest.

Preparing for the harvest

During the summer, that's all we think about: the approaching harvest. This is the moment when everything comes together. We:

• Regularly taste the berries to monitor their ripeness (sugar, acidity, tannins),
• Organize the harvest dates for each plot,
• Prepare the cellar, the vats, the equipment...

Because when the right moment arrives... it only lasts a few days.

Summer in the vineyards is a daily task, discreet but decisive, involving precise movements and patient observation. So next time you pass by our rows of vines, imagine what is happening there: An attentive team keeping watch, Vines that resist, And grapes that prepare, in silence, to give their best.

Would you like to see this work up close? We welcome visitors all summer long at Domaine des Garances, so you can discover what lies behind the beauty of our landscapes. Because behind every bottle, there is a summer of sweat, patience... and passion.

See you soon at Domaine des Garances!