Nurseries

This profession experienced a consequent growth at the time of the phylloxera crisis, before the vine multiplied by simple cuttings without any particular technique.

Figures: In 2020 it is: 880 professionals registered to control the timber and vine plants, including 461 producers of plants and 234 traders. In Nouvelle-Aquitaine, 22% of the professionals and 15% of the mother vines are located in Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

The market for vine nursery growers is worth around €300 million in sales, 230 million plants in 2019 (including around 60 million just in Nouvelle-Aquitaine). Nearly 15% of exports amounted to 13 million euros in 2020. , that is, the production is essentially sold on the French market. Recently, the FFPV launched its common brand «Vitipep’s», guaranteeing a 100% French origin.

The nursery farmer is a winegrower who specializes in grafting. It is the professional who will give birth to the vines. He will perform a graft (omega graft), that is to say he will assemble a rootstock and a graft. These two elements will heal together (called «stratification») and then will be planted in the nursery which will give the first roots.. 

 There are two main sectors in the vineyard nursery:

          - The producers of vines mother feet, they will produce wood that will be used for grafting, there are about 25 varieties of rootstocks that will adapt to the soil in which they will be planted.

           - Growers of grafted-welded plants who will ensure their marketing

Seedlings will be planted from February or in small pots in greenhouses to cover the current year’s planting demand (from May to November)either in an open-field nursery that will root for a year and then be dug up and resold as bare root, which will then be planted from February to April. 

The wood and vine plants are certified by the organization FranceAgriMer, allowing, thus, to eliminate possible contamination, and to fight against diseases such as flavescence dorée or black wood. The mother vines will be subjected to periodic tests (introduced since 1995) sanitary, every 10 years, thus allowing to have healthy and therefore certified equipment. In the case of identification of possible contamination, the plot will be immediately quarantined for two years and its plant material will either be destroyed or treated with hot water (for 45 minutes) at approximately 50°C. 

In short, vine nurserymen are essential professionals in the production of wines and thus spirits, and they are professionals who are upstream of the production, without them no vines, no wines, no spirits, no cognacs.

If you want to discover this profession in video: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0h1M59FSgs