Nurserymen-Viticulturalists: they shape the Swiss vineyard

In Concise (VD), on the edge of Lake Neuchâtel, Yves Cousin transplants tens of thousands of vineyards every winter. In his workshop, he assembles by hand grape varieties in the region on American rootstocks, according to a patiently refined method over the decades. Precise work, patient, invisible at the time of the harvest, but decisive for the future of the Swiss vineyard.

Yves Cousin is a nursing officer-Viticulturer. An little known job, within the wine sector. He himself cultivates 10.5 hectares of vines, but devotes a large part of his winter activity to the production of plants. Each year, he grafted between 40,000 and 50,000, from local, Swiss or European grape varieties, but also new varieties from research centers. “The purpose of this profession is to remove the vineyard, to allow the renewal of our grape varieties and our heritage,” he explains. “For this, we graft European grape varieties on American rootstocks resistant to phylloxera.»

This practice, generalized in Europe at the end of the 19th century^e century, saved the vignoble. Phylloxera, a microscopic aphid from North America, had ravaged European vines. The solution consisted in grafting local grape varieties on wooden segments from wild vines from North America, naturally resistant. Two centuries later, this technique remains the norm. It requires precise know-how and a constant adaptability.

A job of gestures and observation

The transplant, carried out in winter, is a key step in the profession of nurseryman-Viticulturalist. It consists in assembling two living elements-the graft and the rootstock-ensuring that they adapt to each other, without forcing. But it all starts earlier, in the fall, with the preparation of the grafts. The latter are taken from mother vineyards, very vigorous and representative of the chosen grape variety. They are then stored in the cold, then cut before being grafted. “It is a job where we multiply the living. There is a share of magic in there, which we do not find elsewhere. I like it a lot, ”says Yves Cousin. After grafting, the plants are protected with paraffin, then stored, where they grow until the following fall. During this period, they were closely watched: watered, weedkilled, sorted.

The other essential aspect of the profession is selection. The nurseryman chooses the grape varieties to multiply, but also the most suitable strains, depending on the vigor, the quality of the grapes, the resistance to diseases or the type of wine sought. It must anticipate the evolution of the climate, market expectations, agronomic constraints and consumer tastes. Some grape varieties are better suitable for assemblies, others for barrel breeding. You have to find the right combinations, solid, qualitative, and if possible resistant. “We have a real role to play, because the wine begins there, at the time of the transplant,” underlines Yves Cousin.

An often complementary activity

For a long time, the winemakers produced their plants themselves. Today, the wine nursery has become a full -fledged professional activity, sometimes integrated into a field, sometimes exercised mainly. It also offers a form of welcome seasonal complementarity. “On the family estate, I was already doing vine and cellar,” says Quentin Albiez, a young nurseryman at Mont-sur-Rolle (VD). “As my two brothers were more attracted by winemaking, I turned to the nursery. This allows me to work more manually on the wine side, rather than the cellar, especially during the winter. It is all the more interesting than without nurseryman-Viticulturalists, there are no winegrowers. ”

This activity also makes it possible to diversify income and optimize the work of teams throughout the year. In Concise, for example, Yves Cousin employs three full -time employees, which he can maintain even out of season thanks to the nursery. For small structures, this flexibility is an asset.

Fragile know-how

Indispensable for the renewal of the Swiss vineyard, the profession, however, is difficult to find a succession. In Switzerland, there are only 28 nursing homes-viticulturalists, against 45 ten years ago. In Valais, the country’s main canton in the country, there are only two of them. A worrying figure. Because if the production of wine attracts, the reproduction of the vine, it suffers from an image deficit. “There is more interest in the world of wine, it is understandable,” notes Philippe Villard, nurseryman-Viticulturalist in Anières (GE), adding: “Wine is the purpose, and there is more added value. But the nursery is the starting point for what we will find in the glasses. ”

The risk is therefore to see all know-how get lost. Another danger concerns selections specific to certain regions – specialties or resistant grape varieties, sometimes adapted for decades – which could disappear for lack of transmission.

Make known to transmit

Rather than scorching the alarm, the nursing homes and viticulturalists have chosen to make their profession better known. Some organize visits, demonstrations, open up to training. A module was also implemented in 2019, at the School of Viticulture and Changin Oenology, near Nyon, in collaboration with the Federation of Swiss wine -growers (FPVS). The Federation also produced a video to highlight the different facets of the profession throughout the year (see above). “The idea is to arouse interest by exposing the richness of this activity. We work with nature, we test new varieties, we exchange with winegrowers … It is a job of contact, experimentation, requirement. And there is demand, ”says Philippe Villard.

The profession of nurseryman-Vitulteur is not reserved for those who grew up in the vineyards. He can also attract young people in training, retraining professionals or winegrowers wishing to complete their activity. “It’s really the basis of viticulture,” said Quentin Albiez. “Without nurserymen, no winegrowers. This job helps to make an entire sector last. This is what I like deeply. “

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