French term for cane ripening derived from août, French for August, the month in which it generally takes place in the northern hemisphere. The closest English term is periderm (shoot bark) formation. Careful observation shows that the first vineyards to start aoûtement and where it proceeds rapidly, are those which produce the finest wine. This is because early and rapid aoûtement indicates a modicum of water stress, as well as generous plant levels of carbohydrates, both of which contribute to rapid fruit ripening. Aoûtement has therefore been incorporated into vineyard scoring systems used to predict wine quality.
