Summer has arrived at Domaine du Moulin Camus. In our Muscadet vineyards, it’s time for “green work.” Two essential tasks fill our July days: trimming and soil cultivation. Though discreet, these steps are fundamental to the quality of our future wines.
Trimming: an essential green pruning for vine balance
What is trimming?
Trimming involves cutting the tips of the vine shoots to give them a neat, hedge-like shape. It’s an essential mechanical operation carried out after flowering, when the vine is growing actively.
Why does it matter so much?
This operation serves three key purposes:
- Quality: By halting unnecessary foliage growth, the vine channels all its energy into ripening the grape clusters.
- Health: By opening up the canopy, sunlight and wind can circulate more freely, reducing humidity and limiting the spread of disease.
- Practicality: It makes it easier for tractors to move between the rows, preventing damage to the fruit.
Constant adaptation to the climate
In 2026, given the heat, we scaled back trimming. The goal was to leave more foliage to shade the clusters and protect them from sunburn. This is the essence of the winegrower’s craft: adapting to the weather in real time.
Soil cultivation: caring for the land naturally
Choosing “zero herbicide”
At the Domaine, we’ve chosen 100% mechanical weed control. To maintain our soils, we rely solely on mechanical tools that respect the life of the land. Working the soil rather than treating it chemically helps preserve its structure and microbial life — both essential to properly nourishing the vine and expressing the character of the terroir.
Precise mechanical tools
We use two complementary types of equipment:
- The “jura“: This tool (a goosefoot-shaped blade), mounted on a straddle tractor, runs close to the base of each vine to aerate the soil and dislodge weeds without damaging the roots.
- The “multi clean“: These are small rotary wire brushes, also mounted on the straddle tractor. They remove suckers (the young shoots that grow from the base of the vine) and clear away the last stray weeds, all without disturbing the soil structure.
These summer tasks, invisible at the tasting table, are what safeguard the health of our vines and the finesse of our wines. We can’t wait to see the results at the next harvest!