The flowering of Glera celebrating the start of Summer

In late spring, the hills of Valdobbiadene and Conegliano are perfumed with Summer: the most delicate phenological phase of the vine year begins by the end of May, when the flower buds start to open and the first bunches of grapes appear.

After the winter rest, the shoot is at its maximum growing point, has reached 6-7 cm of length and is ready for flowering, which can last between 5 and 15 days depending on the latitude and altitude. Gradually over time, the buds of the central part of the cluster will blossom first, then those of the base, the wings, and finally the tip.
During this fascinating process, our intervention in the vineyard is minimal and very careful; it consists in keeping the plant clean and airy, so that the flowers are free of leaf cover and thus more likely to be pollinated. Nature will do all the rest.
For the formation of the berry that will give life to the cluster, but also of the buds that will carry the flower the following year, there must be a warm and sunny climate, without excess water, bright and windy. This last aspect is also very important for pollination, which, for the vine, occurs precisely because of the wind.
At this precise moment of the vine’s growing cycle, it is possible to make initial estimates of future production by counting the inflorescences and berries per bunch. What is certain, however, is that another hundred days will pass before the harvest, which in Valdobbiadene starts between the end of August and the first weeks of September. It is therefore the summer weather conditions that will determine the final quality and quantity of the grapes harvested.

The flowering of the vine is almost imperceptible, if not for its pleasant scents in the vineyard, a delicate and decisive phase on which man’s succeeded work will depend.