As winter approaches, we are focusing on maintenance in the vineyards. This week our team is finishing removing the bird netting from the vines. While you might be dreaming of a white Christmas, our vineyard team is enjoying these mild, sunny December afternoons! After the nets are down, it's time to replace any broken poles, wires, or hooks on the trellis systems.

We utilize a Vertical Shoot Position, or VSP, which is a commonly used trellis system. Our rows are spaced 8 feet apart, with poles at each end serving as anchors for the trellis wires. The vine shoots are trained upward, with the fruiting zone below. We use 4 levels of wire in our trellis. The cordon, or fruiting wire, is about 3 feet above the ground. Above the cordon wire are movable catch wires used to train the growth of the shoots in an upward direction. The top wire is often about 60 inches to 70 inches high. Throughout the growing season our vineyard team will adjust these wires to maximize the vines potential for fruit production. You can tell a VSP system is being used in a vineyard by the hedge-like appearance of the vines and evenly spaced wires and rows. 

After these items are taken care of, we wait. The next important phase in the vineyard cycle begins after the 2nd hard frost: pruning. We start with the Cayuga, Vidal Blanc and Chambourcin vines and finish with the Cabernet Sauvignon. More on pruning next month!