Winter Is Always About Pruning February 5, 2018 08:00

Pruning defines winter. I am pruning. Everyone else is pruning.
Soon we will be finished, just in time for spring.
This most important job is done only once a year when the leaves have
fallen and the skies are grey.
Chances are all the folks you see out in the vines this time of year are doing pruning.
Every single vine in every vineyard gets pruned.

We prune to remove all the growth from last year except a few chosen buds. Decisions on what and where to cut are important.
This coming vintage will be determined by the remaining buds.
 Pruning directs how the vine will grow and how many grape clusters a vines will set.

 

The goal is one or two buds per spur
depending on the size and age of a vine.

If you don’t prune you end up with a large rangy vine
with numerous small clusters of grapes that don’t get fully ripe. 

 

Here canes removed from the vines are chopped up and plowed into the soil to build humus.
Some are saved to fuel and flavor summer grilling.