Annual Vineyard Cycle
Pruning
As winter temperatures begin to drop, the leaves fall off the grapevine. After some sub-freezing temperatures, the vine goes to sleep. Around the first of January, workers begin to carefully select and prune healthy canes that will bear fruit and foliage of the following summer's crop.
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Bud Break
In mid-March temperatures gradually begin to rise and the vine senses spring is approaching. The buds on the fruit canes begin to "break" open and the new season's foliage begins to emerge.Click image for larger version
Bloom
In early May, as the weather continues to warm up, the clusters begin the flowering stage commonly referred to as "bloom". Each individual berry on the cluster begins to flower and pollen fertilizes the ovary located at the tip of the berry, after which the berry "sets".Click image for larger version
Cluster Tipping
In late May, after the berries have set and begin to grow in size, each cluster that appears to be too tight is thinned by hand. Most varieties require some hand thinning or tipping of the cluster to reduce the number of berries per cluster.Click image for larger version
Cluster Dropping
Also beginning in late May, total crop size potential is evaluated. If the vine appears to be over cropped, some clusters are dropped to reduce total crop size. This ensures that the remaining clusters will size and ripen to their fullest potential.Click image for larger version
Girdling
Around thinning time, some varieties are trunk girdled. A 3/16" thick strip of wood is cut out from around the vine's trunk by a worker using a specially designed knife. This practice keeps carbohydrates and nutrients in the fruiting zone and helps promote berry size and sweetness.Click image for larger version
Vine Training
Newly planted vines are trained periodically during the first two years after planting. This practice is essential to manage the growth and vigor of the vines for ensuing growing seasons, which can be a period of 15-20 years. The young vines are tied to trellis wires supported by metal or wooden posts.Click image for larger version
Harvest
After ripening in the warm California sunshine, the first grapes are ready to be harvested in early July. The harvest continues as different varieties of grapes ripen at different times throughout the summer and early fall. The grapes are picked and packed in the vineyard to ensure freshness.Click image for larger version
