Mid-May onwards

Desuckering

Bourgeons sur un cep de vigne en Champagne

A meticulous selection for the very best grapes

Desuckering involves removing any non-fruitful shoots (also known as "suckers"). The aim is to encourage the vine to focus its energies on the main shoots which will bear the future precious clusters. The task is done entirely by hand, as are many of the stages in Champagne. This is where a grower’s knowledge comes fully into its own, as they must decide which shoots to remove and which to keep;

 A meticulous selection operation  A meticulous selection operation