The phases of a vintage: the choice of the shoots and the control of the threads in the vineyard
Spring has now exploded in all its beauty. Hills are carpeted in shades of green and gold, roses have blossomed and are gently rocked by the wind. Our vineyard is blossoming in all its splendor; it is that period of the year in which our clusters are starting to bloom; it is a very important moment of the year.
When you think about wine and the vintage of a vineyard, the first thing that immediately comes to mind is the moment of the harvest, but there are many phases and moments that mark the life of a vineyard every day. The phases of a whole vintage are many and they all have their own importance.
After the moment of pruning, there are two fundamental phases, the choice of the shoots and the the tightening of the wires with the correct paling of the shoots.
This year, after a year of frost and hail, following the pruning with the Guyot method, we witnessed an important vegetative revival that caused many buds to burst. In particular, in late April and early May, a lot of vegetation grew around the plant, so a very important operation was that of choosing the shoots. All the sprouts that were not well positioned on the trunk have been removed, and we kept only those sprouts that were well positioned and that will then become the future shoots that will bring to the Sangiovese bunches and which will give life to the Brunello.
It was a fundamental operation through which we had to choose the sprouts of this vintage but also leave the sprouts that will create the next year, or those that will then be folded to remake a fruit-bearing garment for next year. It was therefore necessary to think both about the present but also about the future of the plant.
The control of the wires in the vineyard, a very important operation for the correct paling of the shoots
These days we are checking that the threads that are along the vineyard are well stretched since the shoots are very sensitive, green, and delicate, and must be placed inside the pairs of threads to keep them stable. The sprout must not swing too much with the wind and must not risk coming out of its position to avoid the risk of breaking.
The choice of the shoots first and then the correct tightening of the threads are very important practices, which demonstrate how in the vineyard each passage during the year is essential.
