The vineyard year
What happens in the vines and in the cellar, month by month, in the Frontonnais. At the estate, harvest takes place in late August and early September; each vintage brings this calendar forward or pushes it back by a few days to a few weeks.
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January now
In the vines
The vines are dormant. Pruning begins, vine by vine: it decides how many bunches the year will bring.
In the cellar
Wines from the last harvest are maturing. At Fronton, reds are aged at least until 15 January.
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February now
In the vines
Pruning continues. Damaged posts and wires are replaced.
In the cellar
At Fronton, reds from the last harvest may go on sale from 1 February.
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March now
In the vines
Pruning ends. The sap rises and beads at the pruning cuts: the vine is “weeping”. The soil is worked.
In the cellar
Blending and bottling of the wines that are ready.
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April now
In the vines
Budburst: the buds open. Négrette is late, budding about nine days after Chasselas. Frost is the worry of the moment.
In the cellar
Wines for ageing continue to mature.
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May now
In the vines
Shoots grow fast. They are tucked between the wires and the vines are watched for disease, as spring is wet.
In the cellar
Vats and barrels are monitored.
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June now
In the vines
Flowering, then fruit set: the flowers become tiny grapes. A delicate time for Négrette, which is prone to coulure and millerandage.
In the cellar
Wines in the cellar are tasted and monitored.
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July now
In the vines
The grapes swell. Summer canopy work: leaves are thinned and shoots trimmed to air the bunches. At the end of the month véraison begins: the black grapes take on colour.
In the cellar
The cellar is prepared for the harvest: vats, press and harvest equipment are cleaned.
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August now
In the vines
The grapes ripen; berries are tasted and their sugar measured. At the estate, harvest begins in late August. After storms, the Autan wind dries the vines.
In the cellar
First pressings: settling and fermentation of whites and rosés.
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September now
In the vines
At the estate, harvest ends in early September. Négrette ripens in the second period, two to two and a half weeks after Chasselas.
In the cellar
Reds in the vat: alcoholic fermentation and maceration, then running off.
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October now
In the vines
The leaves turn yellow and red; the vines build up reserves before winter.
In the cellar
Red fermentations finish; the new wines are tasted and monitored.
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November now
In the vines
The leaves fall. This year’s wood hardens before winter.
In the cellar
Malolactic fermentations. The new wines begin ageing, in vats or barrels.
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December now
In the vines
The vines go dormant. In some plots, pruning is already starting.
In the cellar
First rackings and tastings of the new wines.
References: Fronton AOC specification (2025) and Plantgrape’s Négrette entry.
A calendar that changes every year
The weather brings each stage forward or holds it back: a mild spring makes the vines bud earlier, a hot summer speeds up ripening. That is why each vintage has its own story, and why the harvest date is decided by following the ripeness of the grapes.
What Négrette goes through
Négrette buds late, which makes it less exposed to spring frosts. Prone to coulure and millerandage, it gives irregular yields, and its tight bunches are vulnerable to grey rot in damp weather: the Autan, by drying the vines, helps it at the end of summer.
Your questions
Frequently asked questions
When does the harvest take place in Fronton?
At Château Saint Louis, at the end of August and the beginning of September. The exact date depends each year on the ripeness of the grapes.
What does the winegrower do in winter?
They prune the vines, plant by plant, to regulate the following year’s crop. In the cellar, the wines from the latest harvest are ageing.
When are the year’s wines ready?
It depends on the cuvée. In Fronton, reds must be aged at least until 15 January following the harvest, and must have completed their malolactic fermentation before being sold.
Further reading
- Winegrower’s glossary Boulbène, coulure, settling, ageing: the words of the vineyard and the cellar, explained simply.
- Négrette and its terroir The grape of Fronton, its history and a map of the twenty municipalities of the appellation.
- The Négrette quiz Ten questions on the grape of Fronton and its appellation. How many will you get right?
