The leaves have fallen off the vines, the vineyards are bare. The must in the vats has stopped its bubbling. For the winemaker, now is the time to tear up vines that are past their best or affected by disease. It's also the season for ploughing and earthing up, to bring soil up to form a protective mound of earth around the stocks before the weather gets too cold, to protect the vines from the winter chill and help the rain penetrate deep down into the soil.

Candlemas, on 2 February, traditionally sees the start of the pruning, a delicate operation that is of considerable importance for both the next harvest and the future of the individual vines. Nowadays, however, the shortage of skilled workers means that pruning starts already in December. It's a long, drawn-out process that has to be done manually, at a rate of about 60 vines an hour. It takes about 2 months for one person to prune 5 hectares.

The next step is cutting away unwanted wood. At the end of the winter, damaged stakes are replaced and the 5 rows of trellis wires repaired.