Winter Pruning in the To Kalon Vineyard

[Peter Alig]

Given January's unseasonably warm and dry weather, grapevine pruning was able to begin much earlier than in past years.

Pruning is a critical part of vineyard management. For vines which are bilaterally cordon trained, pruning involves cutting back last year's fruiting canes (the shoots holding the leaves and grapes) to a two-bud spur. The buds will open in the spring and new fruiting canes will sprout. Faulty pruning could throw the vine out of balance and compromise the quality of the coming crop.

A freshly pruned vine appears above.

The leftover canes are either burned or preserved for grafting.