Palissage – a task for June in Champagne

In Champagne, June brings the activity of ‘Palissage’ to the vineyards. Also known as trellising, this is when the newly shooting vines are trained to grow in a preferred direction and at a certain height.

There are sets of wires that run the full length of a Champagne vine row. They are strung above one another clear of the ground, and in each set there are two wires. During Palissage the developing shoots of the vines are positioned by hand between each pair of wires and ‘m’ shaped clips are hooked over the wires to keep them together, trapping the shoots in position. Like many of the jobs related to Champagne it’s a painstaking process requiring great patience, as every single shoot needs to be clipped into place by hand.

The reasons for training the vines in this way are numerous, but tightening the canopy to promote extra light and radiant heat onto the developing grapes, reducing the risk of diseases, and making the future harvest simpler are some of the most important.

In the past these clips were made from plastic, and needed to be collected at the end of the season, but many of the more conscientious vignerons are turning to clips made from biodegradable material. They are more expensive, but the bonus is they don't need to be collected at the end of the year.