The precise gestures of pruning are not left to individual initiative, but have been regulated since 1938. It is the only AOC to regulate this area in such a rigorous, detailed and comprehensive way.
Pruning is one of the most important operations in the vineyard, as it determines the quality of the harvest. It conditions the vine's development and blossoming. It's the first operation after the harvest. It begins as soon as the leaves have fallen, and stops between mid-December and mid-January, to respect the plant's winter rest period.
Before making the first move, the winemaker or vineyard worker assesses the overall vigor of the vine, its balance (distribution and number of buds, vertical or lateral positioning and overlapping), the growth prospects for the coming year (length of the framework, risk of overlapping with the neighbouring framework at the time of tying and choice of shoot to be tied) and the need for rejuvenation or not, the vigour of the launch if it has been done,the situation of the rachet (launch bud located at the foot of the vine).
Regulations authorize 4 types of pruning in the Champagne region:
Linked Chablis pruning (short pruning on a long frame), Cordon liée pruning (short pruning on a single long frame), Guyot double liée (long pruning on a short frame, which can be single, double or asymmetrical) and Vallée de la Marne liée (only for Pinot Meunier, this is a long pruning on a short frame).