“Under the consultancy of Thomas Lefebvre, Lake George’s vineyard operations saw a significant transformation in 2024, with major improvements in both yield and fruit quality, largely driven by Thomas’s hands-on collaboration with vineyard manager Emily Cunich. Together, Thomas and Emily undertook the winter pruning of key varietals, including Chardonnay, applying the queue du Mâconnais technique—a unilateral arched cane method known for promoting balanced vine growth and optimal fruit set. This careful, skilled pruning formed the foundation for a successful season. In 2023, the Chardonnay block had produced only 650 kilograms of fruit, but under their combined efforts, the 2024 yield rose sharply to 4.28 tonnes. The fruit was not only more abundant but also healthier, with better bunch spacing, improved ripeness, and noticeably lower disease pressure.

This improvement was further supported by a regimented spray program, also developed and implemented under Thomas’s guidance, which played a key role in maintaining vine health throughout the season. Additionally, Thomas’s coordination of timely and efficient netting protected the fruit at critical stages, contributing to the overall success of the harvest. Across the vineyard, total yields rose from 23.35 tonnes in 2023 to 45.929 tonnes in 2024—a nearly twofold increase—reflecting the effectiveness of Lefevre’s comprehensive vineyard management strategy. His mentorship not only enhanced operational efficiency but also gave Emily the tools and confidence to execute vital tasks to a high standard. The remarkable results of the 2024 season are a clear testament to the value of Thomas Lefebvre’s expertise and his positive, lasting impact on Lake George’s vineyard.”

With the traditional spur pruning method, the Gamay block had always been difficult to handle. We were dealing with lots of water shoots, excessive bunch and generally lower vigour on this very fertile variety. To keep the vines in balance required a lot of extra work, shoot thinning, bunch thinning and leaf plucking were necessary to get the quality fruit that we needed.  With the guidance and training from Le Vigneron, we converted the Gamay block to the more sustainable fan bush vine pruning technique. By adopting a pruning method more respectful of the vine’s natural sap flow, we have managed to better channel the growth to the shoot that we do need, and both save a lot of man hours and increase the ripening potential of our premium fruit.