The power of sap flow: the vine awakens

After a quiet winter, careful winter pruning, and tying up the baguette horizontally, something special happens in the vineyard. From the outside, everything still looks barren, but inside our vines, the sap begins to flow. The first signs of life appear, marking the beginning of a new wine year!

What is sap flow and why is it so important?

The sap flow is literally a sign of life in the vine. As soon as the temperatures rise in March/April and the days get longer, the roots of the vine become active again. They absorb water and nutrients from the soil and slowly pump them up through the trunk to the pruned branch(es), known as the baguette(s).

This sap is a mixture of water, sugars, and minerals. Without this flow, the vine remains dormant. The sap flow is therefore the engine of growth and forms the basis for everything that emerges later in the year: leaves, flowers, and ultimately, grapes.

The ‘weeping’ of the vine: a sign of health

One of the first visible signs of sap flow is what is known as weeping. Small droplets of sap appear at the ends of the pruned baguettes. This is a fascinating phenomenon and a reassuring sign: the vine is healthy and its circulation is working properly. Without this sap flow, the plant cannot develop, form leaves, and ultimately bear grapes.

Shoots: the first promise of the harvest

Shortly after the sap flow starts, the first shoots appear. These shoots are young shoots that sprout from the buds of the baguette. They look fragile, but are extremely important.

Leaves and blossoms grow from these shoots, which will later develop into full-fledged grape clusters. Each shoot is literally a bearer of the future harvest. The stronger and healthier the shoots, the better the basis for a high-quality harvest.

For us as winegrowers, this first growth is a crucial phase. We carefully observe how fast the shoots are growing, how they are distributed per plant, and how healthy they are. Based on this, we later make decisions about shoot selection and leaf management.

Along with the growth of the first shoots, a period of care begins in the vineyard. What is still small and vulnerable today will soon be the heart of our wine production. It is crucial to guide, select, tie up, and protect our shoots (against wind, rain, and possible diseases). One by one, by hand.

From droplet to grape

The sap flow is a fascinating moment for us every year. It literally marks the start of a new season.

As the first shoots appear in the vineyard, we look forward to what is to come. Because every new drop of sap flow brings us one step closer to a new vintage of Entre-Deux-Monts wines.

Follow us through the growth process of our plants and ultimately grapes. Because the vineyard is alive, and we love to tell its story!