Monday, April 13, 2009

Pruning - Stage Two!

After the rough prune is complete, the next phase begins. This is a much more critical and deliberate pruning process, in which we decide which of the four canes will be used as the basis for growth for each individual vine throughout the year. They are the strongest, most prolific canes, which are 'laid down' into place along the the training wires.

Jewell Towne specifically follows a practice called VSP (Vertical Shoot Positioning) - a grape canopy management technique developed in New Zealand that allows cool climate grapes to make the most of the cooler environment.

From Enowiki, the free online winemaking encyclopedia:
"Vertical Shoot Positioning (VSP) is a training system that is used in conjunction with single or double Guyot, cane pruned training, or with a cordon, spur pruned system. VSP is very common in cool climate regions, with low to moderate vigorous growth, as it provides Better air flow

VSP encourages better air flow through the vine. This is accomplished by keeping all the shoots growing vertically, and no vegetative growth below the cordon/cane. The increase in air flow helps prevent problems associated with disease, allowing the fruiting area to dry out quicker after rains. Excellent sun for the fruit. With proper canopy management, the fruit is healthier, but being exposed to the sun earlier in the season, encouraging grapes to ripen more evenly within the bunch. Thinning and picking: Cluster thinning, and well as harvest is generally easier, as access to the fruit is easier. The objective of VSP is to train the shoots in a vertical fashion, creating a narrow layer that provides good sunlight exposure and air flow in the fruiting zone of the canopy. Each shoot is trained to grow vertically, in place, by attaching the shoot to movable catch wires. The shoots length can easily be controlled my pruning any vegetation over the top catch wire. The target for the fruiting zone is generally around waist-high, mainly for worker's convenience as the row are worked throughout the year."

Here is a simplified visual representation of VSP - after pruning and then with new growth:

And here we have the VSP system of pruning applied to our vines:




Next post - the long road to the final prune!

















Jewell Towne Vineyards, A day in the life of a local working New Hampshire winery.
Rich Collins, Jewell Towne Vineyards.

“So what do you do all winter at a winery, anyhow?” We hear that question quite frequently, and the answer unfortunately is not “We Travel!” Winter is one of the busiest times for us as it is the winemaker’s time to turn the fruits of the previous harvest into the final product.

Yet Spring is upon us, a time of renewal and rebirth, so I will focus on the primary vineyard task at hand: Pruning. Once the snow recedes to the point where we can readily access the vines, the pruning efforts begin. Vines need the winter to rest and restore, and the green canes of the previous year ‘harden off’ – which essentially means turn woody and form a bark-like protection. There’s a simple indicator for how old a vine's canes are – if they green and flexible – they're less than a year old, if they're brown and woody, it’s last year’s growth.

Note the Green, healthy first year growth (above) and the same canes hardened off (brown and woody) after winter (below).
Thus, our Spring begins with the following scene – windchill, mud, and remnants of snow on the ground, as our vineyard manager Derek begins the pruning season. The following scene is the harbinger of our Spring:
























What we are left with is the previous years growth to contend with, clean up, and direct for the upcoming season. We want the vines to focus their energies on only those canes that will produce fruit (grapes) so we cut the vines back, almost severely, in a number of dedicated stages which I will discuss in some detail.














Stage 1 – The Rough Prune
In this stage we take the somewhat crazed looking vine and knock it back to a more workable model. Any dead wood, unhealthy canes, or rogue wandering tendrils are removed to leave us with a dozen or so top quality canes.


Before:

After:

Note that the vine still has a number of random canes at this point, but it becomes much more manageable for the next stages of pruning.

And let’s not forget it’s still pretty darn cold outside during this process - I've heard of the old saying 'there's frost on the pumpkin' but to see vine sap freeze solid is another story altogether! Have to love these cold New Hampshire springs!


Once the rough prune is complete, it’s time to pick up all the woody canes that aren’t of much use. Pure labor is the name of this game. The amount of wood removed is quite impressive!



























Fortunately for us, everyone is involved in the pruning process - from friends of the winery, to interns, to the whole staff. It’s a fun way to ring in the New Hampshire spring.




Thus completes the first phase – the rough prune! Stay tuned for more info ~Rich


Jewell Towne Vineyards.
65 Jewell St.
South Hampton, NH 03827
603.394.0600

info@jewelltownevineyards.com
http://www.jewelltownevineyards.com/