The Choices
PRUNING
The Choice
What is Pruning?
Pruning is the process of cutting back the vine during winter, after the leaves have fallen. It removes old growth and prepares the vine for the next growing season.
Think of it as giving the vine a fresh start every year.
Its consequence
Why does it matter?
If a vine is left to grow naturally, it will produce too many shoots and too many grapes. While this may sound like a good thing, the vine spreads its energy too thin, resulting in grapes with less flavour and quality.
Pruning helps the grower decide how many shoots and grape bunches the vine will produce, allowing it to focus its energy on fewer, better-quality grapes.
The range
What does it do to the wine?
Pruning has a major influence on the balance, concentration and quality of the fruit.
Light pruning
Leaves more buds, producing more grapes but often with lighter concentration.
Heavy pruning
Leaves fewer buds, producing fewer grapes with greater intensity and flavour.
Balanced pruning
Helps the vine produce the right amount of fruit for the conditions of that season.
Good pruning is one of the first steps towards making great wine.
In practice
Common pruning methods
Both methods do the same job, deciding how much the vine will carry, but they hand the grower a different amount of control.
Spur Pruning
Short sections of last year's growth, called spurs, are left on the vine.
This is one of the most common pruning methods because it is simple, consistent and well suited to many modern vineyards.
Commonly used forCabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot and many vineyards trained on VSP.
Cane Pruning
One or two longer canes from the previous season are selected instead of spurs.
Selecting canes to carry the new shoots takes more skill and time, but can improve fruit quality in certain grape varieties.
Commonly used forSauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and some Chardonnay vineyards.
Knowing what to leave behind
In the world of Aurenloch
Pruning is one of the Choices. Every winter, before a single new shoot appears, the grower decides how much potential the vine will carry into the coming season.
It is a reminder that sometimes, creating something exceptional begins by knowing what to leave behind.
Did you know?
A skilled vineyard worker may prune thousands of vines during winter. Every cut is made by hand and influences how that vine will grow, produce fruit and express itself throughout the year.