Vine pruning: the first step to harvest

"Select the buds that are suitable for development in the next season to determine which shoots will be most productive and what the yield potential is for the next harvest."

Dario Ceccatelli, Agronom

Andrei, il nostro operaio, e Dario, agronomo di Campo al Signore

Once the leaves have fallen, winter has begun, and all that remains is to organize and resume the work and management of our vineyards.

What tasks do Andrei and our agronomist undertake during this time? Pruning and weeding are indeed the most important winter tasks.

What is it? Pruning is a manual process used to regulate the production and vegetative growth of plants. It involves selecting the right buds to identify new shoots and the potential yield for the next season.

The majority of our vineyards are trained using the Guyot system , where the vines form a uniform canopy that is renewed annually. This training method was chosen to extend the lifespan of the vines and facilitate year-round management. The resulting less dense canopy allows for better ventilation. This reduces the need for manual intervention and treatments, leading to a better balance between vegetative growth and yield, which in turn improves the quality of our grapes.

On the plot in front of the house, where our longest-lived and particularly vigorous Cabernet Sauvignon grows, we use a different training system: the double cordon system . Here, the vine is trained on two opposing branches of the central axis to ensure the most uniform shape possible. Pruning is the removal of shoots and buds to control the vine's growth and improve its health. This process is part of pruning and requires great care and precision. In our case, we prune the vines immediately after pruning and training. We remove the individual shoots and plant them in alternating rows in the center of the bed so as not to disturb the rows of cover crops . We sow these in the spring, about which we will tell you soon.

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