Nurturing vines for great wines

Vineyards are changing constantly through the seasons. Vines produce fruit in summer and lie dormant in winter, but the exact timing of their phases of growth is different every year, and when the moments arrive: springtime, frost, veraison or harvest, you need to be ready for them.

Vines wake from their winter sleep, bruising for a fight with the rest of nature. You and your secateurs will keep them in check, directing their energies, to the prize of a fabulous harvest in the autumn - if the Gods are smiling.

The thrill of watching new green shoots and berries burst from the wizened branches of the vines is matched by the need to keep up with and focus energy into the grapes for quality: an optimum balance of sugar and acidity, consistency of ripeness.

Springtime then, is for preparing the vines for a wave of bursting buds and sappy shoots. The first task is to cut back last year´s growth.

As spring advances into early summer, shoots extend and need trimming, leaves need thinning. laterals require nipping out. The objective remains to focus the plantś energy on fruit, by restricting non-essential growth.

Veraison, the time at which growth ends and ripening of the berries begins, typically arrives for us in August, and we work to get the grapes exposed to the sun and ready to soak up its light and warmth.

Given a fair wind and sun, harvest in September or October when sugars are present in equal measure with acidity and flavour. When they are ready, expect a few long days of toil, tons of fat juicy grapes, and the thrill of a new vintage, ready to go straight into fabulous Silverton wine.