Winter’s well and truly here, though the ‘warm and dry’ forecast hasn’t quite played out!
We had a slow start to frost season, but the last few weeks have certainly made up for it, and we’ve also had some decent early rainfall along the way.
The late arrival of frost meant the vines held onto their leaves right through to the end of May. That’s actually a good thing; the extra time lets the vines draw down nutrients and store up energy for spring. That stored goodness is what keeps them going for the first few weeks after budburst. We’re just completed our pruning for the season.
This year, we’re tweaking our approach a little, using insights from our recent bud dissections. These give us a really clear idea of how fruitful the buds are likely to be, and some varieties are showing better results than last year.
Depending on the variety, we have used a mix of pruning styles: cane pruning, 2-bud spur, and 3-bud spur. Thanks to great cane development and strong growth last vintage, we had plenty of options to work with.
Stay warm and dry. We’ll see you in spring when the vineyard bursts back to life!
Paul Bagley | Viniculturist