January is the month for pruning the vines. We cut off all of last year's growth except for the two shoots that will be tied down to the fruiting wire and become this year's canes. You can see the two shoots per plant in the picture and all the cuttings. We put the cuttings in every other row to minimize the number of rows we have to drive the tractor through with the mower. You can also see the cover crop in the rows which reduces erosion and adds nitrogen back to the soil.
This is the oldest block in the vineyard (25 years) which explains both the thickness of the trunks and why they are so far apart. Later this year we will be releasing an 08 reserve blend from these old vines that is simply the most elegant wine we've ever made. It's still resting comfortably in barrel while we do our normal agonizing over what to call it.
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