Viticulture
Pruning
Winter cutting that determines how much fruit the vine will carry.
Overview
Pruning decides next season's crop before the season starts. Leaving more buds means more bunches; leaving fewer concentrates the vine's resources.
Spur pruning cuts back to short spurs on a permanent cordon; cane pruning selects one or two full canes each year. Which is used depends on variety, climate and tradition.
It is skilled, slow work done in cold weather, and it is one of the largest labour costs in a vineyard.
Sources
Sources consulted
- WSET educational materials and the Systematic Approach to Tasting — Wine & Spirit Education Trust
More in the vineyard
Viticulture
Climate and wine style
The largest single influence on what a wine tastes like — larger than grape, producer or winemaking, and the reason the same variety is unrecognisable in two places.
Viticulture
Climate change and wine
Warming is already reshaping where wine is grown and what it tastes like.
Viticulture
Harvest and picking decisions
When to pick — the single most consequential decision a producer makes each year.