A day with François Dal

Necrosis and fungal diseases in wood ravage French vines. According to INRA, in 2012 they contaminated 13% of the French wine areas. And their impact is growing. Agronomic engineer, François Dal is passionate about vine and wine. Working in the Sancerre area, he has devised since 2003 some ways of training the vine in order to limit , even to stop, the propagation of these diseases, first of all the “esca” (black measles) .

He his working at the SICAVAC , a private organization created by eight A.O.C. syndicates from the region. It gives advices on viticulture and oenology and runs its own laboratory. Rejuvenation, curettage, top grafting and “Poussard pruning” are some of the techniques in use. All of them improve the flow of the sap and the energetic equilibrium of the plant. And It works !