It’s common for grape leaves to remain on the vine after harvest. They continue to perform photosynthesis and produce carbohydrate reserves. Eventually, the vines begin to pull back these carbohydrates from the leaves to later be stored, causing the look of foliage on the vine leaves. By winter, vines have stored their reserve nutrients in the cordons and roots, which are critical for the vines to have the energy to produce new buds and shoots in the spring—a time when there are not yet leaves on the vine to produce carbohydrates through photosynthesis.

Towards the end of the winter dormancy, our vineyard crew begins the process of pruning, which is an adjustment of the vine architecture for the upcoming harvest. At our Somerston Estate, cane pruning is typically the method used. This practice cuts the vine back to one or more canes that will produce new shoots that develop buds; then, renewal spurs can be used as sites for new canes in the future. This year, due to the drought and limited shoot growth in 2021, cordon pruning will be used for a majority of the vines, and the remainder will be cane. The cordon pruning system leaves a permanent horizontal extension of the trunk in place year after year. And while the cordons themselves don’t usually produce fruitful shoots, spur positions located along the cordon will create productive shoots.