It did a whole lot of good to be out amongst the vines under the
sun last weekend, and we finally felt like summer has at long
last arrived! We were at Château Beau Rivage in Macau-en-Médoc
for a couple of Wine Discovery Experience days to learn about the
work that goes on in the vineyard.
Accompanied by Christine and Guillaume from Château Beau Rivage,
we headed straight out into the vineyard. Here Christine showed
us the differences between the 5 grape varietals that are grown
on the estate, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec
and Petit Verdot.
Since December, there has already been much work done. Christine
explained how the vines have been pruned, the trellis repaired
and the soil worked.
The vines at Château Beau Rivage are cultivated organically, so
we also learnt how to protect the vines from disease without the
use of synthetic products.
At the far end of the vineyard, we arrived at the plot of Merlot,
where the adopted vines are located. As is custom, we took a few
minutes to whisper sweet nothings to our vines and to snap a
couple of pictures! We have already received a few photos for the
My Vine competition.
But we were also there to work! It's a very interesting
time in the vineyard at the moment because the flowering is
reaching the end and the first berries are starting to form. The
vines are growing prolifically and must be kept in check. There's
therefore a lot to be done, and Christine and Guillaume showed us
how to de-bud, train and de-leaf the vines. We then rolled our
sleeves up and spread out in pairs between the rows!
To start with; de-budding. We had to remove all growth from the
vertical part of the vine foot, as this takes away energy from
the rest of the plant.
Next we made sure that any vine branches that were falling into
the middle of the row were placed in between the training wires.
This helps support the vine and makes it easier for the tractor
to pass down the rows without damaging the vines, as well as
helping to reduce the risk of disease.
And finally we removed some of the leaves on each vine from
around the grapes so that they will be able to ripen more
quickly. It's a delicate operation because if there is too much
sunlight and heat, then it's sometimes better to keep the leaves
to provide some shade for the grapes. For this reason, we only
removed the leaves from the east facing side of the vines, so
that the west side is better protected from the stronger
afternoon sun. Removing some of the leaves also helps reduce the
risk of rot and mould forming on the grapes as better circulation
of air dries them quicker after rainfall.
After the work, the reward, and we had well earned our chilled
Clairet rosé wine! We ate outside in front of the château and
tasted several of the winery's red wines over lunch, including
the Château Beau Rivage Bordeaux Supérieur and Christine's
Haut-Médoc, "Clos la Bohème", which has just been selected as a
Cru Bourgeois wine.
During the afternoon we were happy to find the relative cool of
the chai. Christine showed us where the grapes will be received
at harvest time and where they are put into the vats to begin
fermenting.
We finished the day in the impressive barrel room where the wines
are slowly aged in the casks that are made by the cooperage owned
and run by Christine's family.
Many thanks to Christine, Guillaume and Pauline from Château Beau
Rivage, and to our clients for two fun days. We'll now be leaving
the vines alone for a while so that the grapes can ripen, before
returning for the harvest in October!