According to the Larousse dictionary, phenology is the scientific study of the variations (duration, period, etc.) that the various climates make undergo to the flowering and the foliage of the plants.
The phenological stages of the vine
The cycle of the vine corresponds to the annual period of the growth of the plant.
Since 1994, the notation of the phenological stages of the vine is made according to a numerical scale from 1 to 47, established by Eichhorn & Lorenz.
This scale completes the one of Baggiolini, noted from A to P.
The first stage is the swelling of the bud (vegetation resumption). The final stage will be the fall of the leaves, following the harvest.
Some stages are more known ( flowering, ripeness).
In July, the bunch closes and gets colored
At the end of July, in Charente, we generally observe the "closing" of the bunch, that is to say, the densification of the bunch and the enlargement of the grains.
The grains have reached about 70% of their final size and are beginning to touch.
This stage precedes veraison : the grains will start to change color for red grape varieties, or to become translucent, for white grape varieties.
The bunch will become more compact, it is the first stage of maturation.
It remains essential to take care of the foliage to allow the harvest to be carried out successfully.
The influence of meteorological phenomena on the vine cycle
Climatic factors directly influence living organisms in their development.
A period of rain, cold, heat wave or drought will influence these stages.
Indeed, the solar radiation, the nutrition of the plant will be influenced by these meteorological phenomena.
For several years, the evolution of the climate has modified the phenology of the vine, notably the period of maturity.
We notice an earlier harvest date !
