Freterive

This is a lovely succession of small hamlets that has specialized in very difficult work: the production of young vine plants. Freterive is the second largest producer of young vines in France. This type of work was started after the First World War, and considerably extended and improved in 1945 by the installation of machines to perform the grafting.

The roots are purchased from the southern departments in Provence and Languedoc. Once assembled, the root stock and the sprout are dipped into a bath of cool but still liquid paraffin to achieve a more solid structure. They are laid in wood chip—filled containers and placed in a warm room for a month or so, to allow the grafting procedure to take place.