Every autumn, once the excitement of the harvest has passed and calm has returned among the vines, the vineyard changes its face. As the cold sets in and the days grow shorter, vine leaves take on golden, coppery and then fiery red hues, offering one of the most beautiful sights of the year in the vineyards of Champagne.
Far from being a season of rest, autumn marks an essential stage in the vine's life cycle: the moment when the plant prepares for winter, while behind the scenes the vineyard teams carry on with meticulous maintenance and observation work.
So, what work shapes this season in the Champagne vineyard, and how does this stage of the growing cycle unfold at the Domaine de Ludes, the historic home of the Maison Canard-Duchêne?
Why do vine leaves change colour in autumn?
This phenomenon is of course not unique to Champagne: it affects every vineyard and, more broadly, plants all over the world. As temperatures drop and the days shorten, the vine reduces its production of chlorophyll, the green pigment that captures sunlight during the growing season.
As the chlorophyll gradually withdraws from the leaves, it gives way to other pigments that had been hidden until then, carotenoids and anthocyanins, which give the leaves their yellow, orange and then coppery red hues.
This process marks the beginning of senescence: the plant gradually slows its activity to save its resources and protect itself from the cold. It is a natural and necessary stage of the growing cycle, allowing the vine to recycle essential nutrients before the leaves fall and it enters dormancy.
Autumn in the Champagne vineyard: a season of transition
In Champagne, autumn takes on a special colour. On the slopes of the Montagne de Reims, the Côte des Blancs and the Vallée de la Marne, the vineyard plots are dressed in shades of yellow and red that transform the Champagne landscape. It is one of the most photogenic moments of the year in the vineyard, but also a period of intense work for the vineyard teams as they prepare for the next harvest.
Essential vineyard work in autumn
Soil care: once the leaves have fallen, winegrowers prepare the soil for winter and encourage microbial life. It is the ideal time to replenish the soil's humus by mulching the vine shoots and adding organic matter.
Pre-pruning: as the leaves fall and temperatures continue to drop, the vine enters dormancy and its wood hardens. This is when Champagne winegrowers begin pre-pruning, ahead of the final pruning, marking the starting point of a new cycle for the vine.
Discover the next stages of the vine's life cycle
Autumn in the vineyard at the Domaine de Ludes
At the heart of the Domaine de Ludes, on the north-facing slopes of the Montagne de Reims, the vineyard teams of the Maison Canard-Duchêne also carry on with meticulous observation and care, drawing on expertise handed down since 1868. Autumn is the time to take stock of the harvest that has just ended, assess the health of the vines and begin the first tasks that will prepare the vineyard to face the winter.
Learn more about the Montagne de Reims terroir
This period is part of a wider commitment to respecting terroir and biodiversity, one close to the Maison's heart: preserving the richness of the soil and the vines means guaranteeing, year after year, the typicity and finesse of Canard-Duchêne cuvées.
In the cellars, autumn is also a key period, when the winemaking teams gradually discover the full potential of the latest harvest and start the first fermentations that turn the juice into wine, an essential step in Champagne making, ahead of the blending season.
Discover the key stages of Champagne making
Discover the Domaine de Ludes vineyard and Champagne in a new light
Walking through the vines around the Domaine de Ludes at this time of year shows that Champagne is not only about the harvest: it is the result of a continuous cycle, in which every season, including the one when the vine rests, contributes to the quality of the wine.
It is also a chance to discover another side of the vineyard, where the light turns warmer, the colours change and the pace gradually slows. An ideal opportunity to enjoy the surrounding nature and slow down after the excitement of September.
Want to see Champagne in new shades? The Maison Canard-Duchêne opens the doors of its Domaine de Ludes, just 15 minutes from Reims, for a visit to its historic cellars, close to the vines and to nature.
