Pruning Challenges Faced by Vineyards After Extreme Weather Conditions

Pruning is a critical process in vineyard management that directly affects grape quality and yield. It involves removing the previous year’s growth to encourage the growth of new canes, which will eventually bear fruit. However, the process can be challenging, especially after extreme weather conditions, as experienced by our Sea Wave vineyard on the Naramata Bench last year.

Due to the extreme low temperature that dropped to minus 27-28 degrees, the pruning work in our vineyard is proving to be tougher and lengthier compared to previous years. As a result, our vineyard team is more tired and has to work harder to complete the pruning on time. The winemaking team will also be affected by this since the quality of grapes depends on the proper pruning of vines.

In the past, we used to leave only two buds during pruning, but now we’re leaving four buds to ensure a better yield. We will continue to closely monitor and adjust our pruning technique accordingly after observing the sprouting. However, this will increase the cost of pruning, as two rounds of pruning will be necessary.

Moreover, we anticipate a decrease in yield by 30-50% this year, especially for red varieties. This was based on a sample survey conducted by our vineyard team. Although this presents a challenge for our winemaking team, we are confident that we can still produce high-quality wines with the grapes we have.

Overall, pruning is an essential process in vineyard management that requires precision and careful attention to detail. Extreme weather conditions can make pruning more challenging and time-consuming, as experienced by our Sea Wave vineyard on the Naramata Bench. Despite the difficulties, our vineyard team is committed to ensuring the best possible yield for this year’s harvest, and our winemaking team is dedicated to producing high-quality wines that reflect the terroir of our vineyard.