Cordon pruning at Maison Jean Loron

The pruning of the vines has begun at Maison Jean Loron:

In vine-growing, the month of January marks an important step in the cycle of the vine: it is the time of pruning. This work is carried out to limit the inordinate growing in order to regulate production of grapes in terms of quantity. The work is carried out in winter during the dormancy of the vine stock. Several methods exist to prune the vines and each of them has its own benefits… It is the vinegrower that has to decide which pruning method is the best for its vine stock ! In our winegrowing estate we choose to perform the cordon prunig method on our Gamay grapes. However, what is the cordon pruning method and what are its benefits ? Here are some answers…

Cordon pruning:

Cordon pruning is a short pruning where two horizontal arms are formed with 4 to 6 renewal spurs that each have two buds. The goal is to favorise the lateral distribution of the vegetation and the rejuvenation of the vine stock by regenerating the arms. It takes 4 to 7 years and the establishment of strong enough arms for this pruning to form iself completly. The benefits of this method are many. First, a short pruning is essential to sublimate the numérous qualities of the Gamay ! The vines are then higher and offer a better sun exposition to the grapes. The vine stock is more ventilated which allows a reduced humidity and a lower disease risk. Moreover, this pruning style has numerous practical aspects. It allows a more effective labour of the soils and an easy management of the vegetation covers which work as a biologic fertilizer for the vine.

Illustration of a cordon vine stock before the pruning