3,000 holes to dig: the winter's colossal worksite
When you take over vineyards, you inherit a magnificent terroir — but sometimes also the past. Some of our parcels belonged to vignerons close to retirement. Naturally, they no longer had the energy to renew the vines.
When you take over vineyards, you inherit a magnificent terroir — but sometimes also the past. Some of our parcels belonged to vignerons close to retirement. Naturally, they no longer had the energy or desire to invest in renewing the vines.
The result: look closely at our rows. Here and there, the vines look like a smile missing some teeth. We call those "manquants" — the missing.
The headcount. This winter, we walked each parcel, notebook in hand. The verdict came down: we are missing 3,000 vines for the vineyard to run at full capacity. 3,000 is huge. That's almost half a hectare scattered across the estate.
Why is it a vital investment? In March, you'll see us armed with an auger (a large motorised drill) to pierce the granitic soil. Planting a vine is an act of faith in the future.
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You have to buy the plant.
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You have to dig the hole and plant.
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You have to water it and protect it.
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And above all… you have to wait.
A vine planted in 2026 will not give its first proper grapes until 2029 or 2030. That is the reality of our work: we invest time and money today for harvests four years from now. It is colossal manual labour, but it is the only way to secure the future of Maison Bugnazet.
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