Vineyard Fashions

Vineyard Fashion - not what the smart pruner is wearing these day but,…….

January sees the beginning of winter pruning here on the farm. Something that is a joy on a clean crisp sunny day and frankly, not, on a cold wet and windy one. Our fabulous volunteers Lou and Philip come to help out on a Monday with only the prospect of lunch and the occasional bottle of wine as a reward.

You’d think that given that we’ve been growing grapes for wine for around 7000 years that we’d have all got the hang of it by now but it’s amazing how little we know about plants in general and vines in particular. Work on associations between plant roots and beneficial fungi are transforming our ideas. The fungi effectively extend the root area of plants and are extremely important to most wild plants, but less significant for garden plants where the use of fertilisers and cultivation disrupts and replaces these associations. Keeping soil alive is now seen as the most important aspect of plant health and longevity. In winter we graze the vineyard with sheep not only to keep the weeds down but also as a supplier of microbe rich manure. Thanks to Dave Evans who not only supplies them but also his sister Claire whose Highland Cattle we put up in the orchard. You can’t beat a bio-mower.

Just like everything else , vineyards and pruning are prone to fashions. One year everyone is planting their new vines ultra-close together, the next year they are giving them more space and letting them do their own thing. The current trend is to use techniques developed by”Master Pruners”  Simonitt and Sirch. https://simonitesirch.com/ It’s tempting to see them as the Salt Bae of grape growing but, a lot of what they say are fundamental principles that help the vine to grow naturally. They are creepers and want to climb and so continuous use of new wood allows them to constantly regenerate. Fascinating stuff.