Out of breath, exhausted, worn out, completely drained of its substance, the vine is preparing to enter hibernation. The stripped cane has lost its leaves and, trembling in the pale November sun, is now but a shadow of its former self.
It has carried out considerable work over several months—since March, more precisely, when it awakens as the soil warms. Its roots then begin to gently stir, and the vine opens to life with “tears”: drops of sap that appear on the pruning wounds. From that moment on, the vine will not stop pushing, growing, working, bearing the future harvest and bringing it to maturity in the best possible conditions. Gently at first, then from June onwards, as soon as the heat sets in, it will do considerable work throughout the summer.
From mid-August, the vine begins to build up its reserves for winter. The stem that bore the fruit turns into a cane—this is lignification. The sap begins to flow downwards and reserves accumulate in the roots. This phase continues until mid-November.
At that point, the vine enters a well-deserved phase of vegetative dormancy. To protect itself from the cold, the sap retreats into the roots. It no longer circulates through the plant; it is a kind of self-defence against the cold. In this way, it can survive down to -18°C. This process of slowing vital activity bears the lovely name of senescence. The plant is still alive; it is simply sleeping, and this dormant period will allow it to regain strength for the following year.
