Pruning

We began pruning over a month ago, but were stopped in our tracks by freezing winds. However today was a balmy 12 degrees so we got going again. We finished the top Syrah and moved down to the bottom of the amphitheatre where we have another parcel of Surah. It's the first to ripen so it's the first to be pruned.

When we're pruning we aim to cut first for the health of the vine, then for the quality and quantity of the fruit. Basically a vine will produce way more fruit than it can ripen and the quality is the last thing on its mind. We aim to produce high quality grapes but relatively few. So we prune quite hard. That way the plant can concentrate all its resources into a few bunches. If a vine is weak we may prune to produce just a couple of strong branches and no fruit until it is restored enough to support fruit in later years.

Each and every vine is pruned by hand so it has really concentrated attention paid to it. A tidy balanced vine is a pleasure to see and I swear that I can smell the wine when I'm pruning the Syrah.