Simple Guyot pruning: why do we leave only one cane per vine?
Today, we invite you to discover our secrets on simple Guyot pruning of our vines, as winemakers in Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil.
Pruning takes place in December or January, preparing the vine for its next harvest.
Understanding vine pruning: simple Guyot pruning!
In the photo below, taken in one of our vineyard plots for our Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil wines from our 12 Arpents cuvée, you can see a vine pruned in simple Guyot style. This is the traditional pruning method for this grape variety.
📷 Photo taken in our vineyards on April 28, 2025.
How to perform simple Guyot pruning?
To perform this pruning, we keep only one cane, which is a shoot remaining from the previous year. Then, we prune it to about 6 to 8 eyes (buds). This is an important step, as it is from these that the future fruit-bearing shoots will emerge.
Understanding simple Guyot pruning: Why keep only one cane?
During simple Guyot pruning, a question arises: why keep only one cane? The equation is quite simple: fewer buds = better concentration. The goal of this pruning is to focus on controlled and quality production, as opposed to an unbalanced abundance. Moreover, it promotes aeration of future vegetation, thereby limiting the appearance of diseases like downy mildew.
And then, what is the purpose of simple Guyot pruning?
After pruning the cane, it is attached to a training wire, which allows the vine's growth to be oriented horizontally. The future vegetation can then organize itself for good sun exposure, and as a bonus, it facilitates work throughout the season: lifting, hedging, harvesting. The vine will then grow to form long vegetative corridors, typical of the Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil appellation.
