Grounding your soul...
Pruning the vines is jolly hard work. It requires decision making, strength and foresight. The way you prune today, determines the quality of grapes and therefore the quality of your wine. Pruning willy - nilly is hardly an option.
It seems that Winter has waved its final goodbye ( let's hope so ),and the vineyards are alive. The various pruners are out and about. Each morning when I walk in and among the vineyards it is the strangest thing. Often I don't see the pruners but I hear the sound that the wire string makes as the old vine is being pulled off of it. Good gracious, it is amazing how the vines have their tendrils around the various wires. It's a case of pulling vigorously or using the pruning shears and often its easier to pull.
Bob and I are in our third year of being allowed to help. Bob is more comfortable with his pruning shears, but I still take a while to figure out where to prune each vine. There are often numerous shoots and branches from it, and it is a case of choosing 2 - 3 twigs that will then be the host of the new lot of grapes. Snipping off the wrong one, might be a loss of 5 bottles of wine....at least that's what I think!
Most of the local women are such aces at pruning. Of course they have been in the vineyards from a young age and it is second nature for them. When you ask anybody, nine times out of ten they will say that they love to spend time pruning the vines. It is a meditation of sorts for them. No kids, no cooking, no nagging husband, no worries. Just the vines, stunning surroundings, fresh air and you!
Pruning is one of the steps that if done correctly,will help make a wine of note. Growing grapes for quality and not quantity! Taking my time will hopefully bear fruit...
Biggi
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