Pruning, the Most Critical Activity we do in the Vineyard Each Year
Our Estate Vineyard, Stone Well, Barossa Valley
A Year in the life of a Vine
Grape Vines are incredibly resilient plants, they seem to find a way to survive, in some cases for many years, centuries even. But each year, they transition through the annual cycle and produce grapes that we turn into wine. The process sounds simple, and it is. We get budburst in spring, flowering, fruit set, veraison (ripening and development of colour in the grapes), harvest, and then, after they shut down for a winter’s rest and when they least expect it, they receive a significant haircut, or prune. Just in time to awake in spring invigorated for another growing season.
All this of this occurs whilst the world around them and the environment in which they grow experiences drought, floods, wind, hail, frost, fires, and inevitably the onset of disease and insects. But each Spring, they awake for 7-8 months of growth, intent on producing wonderful fruit for wine. But where does it all start? It starts with pruning.
Pruning
Each winter, after the leaves from the previous season have dropped and the fruit has been picked, we enter the vineyards and remove some dead wood, some old canes, and help the vine prepare for the season ahead. Pruning is the process of trimming the previous season’s growth and setting up the vine for the seasons ahead. The next two seasons are determined by the cuts we make at this time. Pruning impacts, quantity, quality and ultimately the long term health of the vine. But how do we prune, and what do we prune?
A good pruner is an invaluable resource, often relying on skills that have been built over decades. But pruning not only takes great skill, it requires great concentration, resilience and commitment. Our small vineyard takes 6 weeks to prune, and we have a little over 11 acres of grapes - the Barossa Valley has tens of thousands of acres of grapes. In our case, the work is done by hand, by Mandy Madar, a great pruner and a great person, who is an incredible asset for our business.
Pruning an old Shiraz Vine in Blk 1, Hayes Family Wines Estate Vineyard, Stone Well, Barossa Valley
A pruned rod and spur Shiraz vine in Blk 11, Stone Well Vineyard.
The Vines
Each and every vine is treated individually, and there can be up to 3000 or more per acre in our vineyards. Some are planted as bush vines, some what we call ’rod and spur’, and others permanent arm. Each must be assessed, evaluated and a decision made as to where to cut, and how to sculpt the vine for the coming season and the seasons beyond.