Wine Diary
Working during winter rest I
Winegrowers live with nature, but cannot rest in winter like the vines. Even though the seasons dictate a rhythm, in the vineyard one winegrowing year flows seamlessly into the next! As soon as a harvest is completed, and sometimes while the last grapes are still being brought in, work begins on the next vintage. In addition to maintaining the vineyards and cellars, this also includes soil care measures such as sowing the winter seed between the rows of vines.
2024 brought the earliest harvest closure in our records, a fact that has enabled us to gain a small head start in the vineyards to date. This can also be seen in the progress of pruning. Relatively cool weeks at the beginning of winter meant that the vegetation soon came to rest. If you drive along the Kamptal terraces, an astonishing number of rows of vines have already been pruned. The previous year's shoots are shortened to a few very short ‘cones’ or usually to one or two 'canes', depending on the training method. We cultivate sustainable pruning and try to trace the supply pathways of the plant in order to select the particularly vital wood with a good connection to the sap flow of the stem. An optimal balance between roots, foliage and grapes is desired. The length of the canes also contributes to this balance. The number of future fruiting shoots that grow from the buds (eyes) of the canes sets an initial yield limit. We do not want to put too much strain on the vine, but rather encourage its development and give it a long life.
