Sculpting the Vine:   The Art of Pruning

As I continue my journey through the wonderful world of wine, I have been given the opportunity to learn the delicate art of pruning.  I discovered that the vineyard is like an art gallery with each vine a unique and different sculpture.

The farmer views their vineyard through a special lens.  They not only have to see the needs of the coming growing season, but they have to be able to envision what is necessary for the coming years.  Cuts made today will impact the health and productivity of the vines.  Decisions have to be made about which canes to keep and when a portion of the cordon (lateral growing arm) may need to be replaced by another.  If they only had a crystal ball this would be easy, but is anything ever easy?

On my first day, I was given instructions about which canes to cut and why to keep others.  I was told how many buds to leave and how to tell when to “lay down” a new vine to replace an old one.  There was a lot of information in a short amount of time.  After watching and discussing why they chose the cuts they made, I was entrusted with a pair of clippers and was off on my own.

At first, I worked slowly and nervously. I made my cuts and asked many questions.  I didn’t want to mess up this wonderful vineyard and disappoint the farmer I was working for.  I was reassured when they said to make what I thought was the best possible choice when pruning.  They don’t always know what the correct choice is either but know that just like any plant it will regrow and be given another chance the following year.

As I moved through the vineyard, I realized that each individual plant is a composition.  With each cut made, I was creating a sculpture that given the right conditions will bear incredible fruit to harvest for the coming years vintage.  Not only that, but the shape that is created with each thoughtful prune will determine in the course of time how productive the plant will become.

Viewing the vines as a living piece of artwork helped me to overcome my fear of making a horrible mistake. I was able to choose which prunes to make based on the future for this plant.  I could see the beauty of the present and the incredible destination for this vineyard.

Thanks again to Overmountain Vineyards for allowing me to take these photos!