Adventures in Pruning

 Qualities to Look for in a Vineyard:

1.     The higher up on the hill, the better. The higher you are the less chance of being caught in the fog that is here and you will also get less run off from everyone else (chemicals, sewage, etc.).

2.     Dry- the less water the better! Vines do best when stressed to find water and need to dig deep in the earth.

3.     Slate/clay/dry soil- if it has a lot of nutrients it will produce poor grapes but good veggies. Look for grey colored earth, not brown.

4.     The rows are placed so the sun passes on each side- essentially the suns path should be perpendicular to the rows, not parallel

Things that matter when pruning an organic vineyard

• Diseased vines can contaminate others- sheers should be designated for cutting either diseased or healthy vines but not both. If needed for both, clean with alcohol in between uses.
•  Don’t prune when it is really cold out- if the frost hits the pruned vine, it will freeze it and damage the vine. Only make cuts when it is warm enough outside.
• Be gentle to the newly cut vines. It can damage the vine if it is battered and bruised.
• Don’t clean your muddy boots on a vine- the diseases in the mud are now directly on the vine and could more easily contaminate the vine now.

Techniques Used at Casa Raia:

• Willow branches to tie vines to the wires between posts. They use these instead of plastic ties because they are organic, better for the earth, stronger and easier to cut. Less waste.
• Two Bud vine growing technique: The vine grows up and then splits into two on the wire. This allows the sap and nutrients to go in multiple directions, thus creating an equilibrium on the vine- all grapes receive the same nutrients and are more consistent in quality. Sap runs up for a few months and then down for a few months and will take the good or bad from the soil with it.

The Less Glamorous Aspects of Pruning:

There are lots of small spiders who live in the dead vines. They like to fall on you (along with the dirt) when you take the dead vines off. Every day I come in and shower immediately because I know there have been little spiders crawling on me all day long. Lovely.

I am allergic to Tuscany! I forgot that I have bad environmental allergies- I’m allergic to dust, mold, and other stuff that is all around here! I’m a sneezy mess most days. Oops.

Cold earth + Rain and Fog = Freezing cold feet in rubber boots all day. My feet are constantly cold and take a few hours to defrost once I get back inside. Love the hot showers here!