Recession making vine pruning courses increasingly popular

Frost on the vines at Saint-Georges: pruning can often be a cold job but better than when it is wet

La Nouvelle République today reports on the increasing popularity of a vine pruning course, which is attracting the unemployed as well as those already working in the vines. Last year there were 25 on the course, this year it has risen to 40. The pruning course runs for 190 hours and is held at both Amboise and Chinon.

Pruning is the longest job and one of the most important in the vineyard year. It can start in late November and run until early April. You need to wait until the sap has receded. How hard you prune will play a big part on the size of the crop. It is a time when diseases, especially fungal diseases like eutypoise, can be transmitted through pruning cuts.