Grape flowers

The grape vines are in flower now, but the flowers are quickly being replaced by tiny grapes. The vines themselves are growing like crazy and walking between the rows is like negotiating a jungle. I've noticed that the growers are starting to trim the vines now so that the plants' energy goes into the fruit and not into extending their reach.

Wine grapes in flower.

The trimming is done by machine and afterward each row is neat and uniform, giving the vineyard a very manicured look. I'll try to get a photo of that soon so you can see the difference. Today is overcast and southwestern France is under thunderstorms and rain. The system is expected to bypass us, but we might see a stray shower or two over the course of the day. Tomorrow the sun is expected back and we have a date to pick blueberries at a local farm.