What Happens During the Vineyard Cycle?
“What are they doing in the vineyard?” It’s one of the most common questions we hear from guests watching the vineyard crew work among the rows. Understanding the vineyard cycle helps explain just how much hands-on care goes into each vine throughout the year.
Each grapevine in a vineyard is touched by human hands an average of 17 times throughout the year—an astonishing effort considering Knudsen Vineyard spans 125 planted acres and is home to more than 229,000 vines.
To appreciate the vineyard cycle, it helps to understand the grapevine, which naturally seeks to sprawl and grow ever higher. By carefully managing that growth, the vineyard team can help the vine focus its energy on producing a concentrated crop of high-quality grapes suited to the available soil and water resources.
Winter Pruning: December Through February
From December through February, each grapevine is carefully pruned back from the previous season’s growth, leaving the appropriate number of buds to produce the desired crop for the coming season. Learn more about winter pruning.
Early Spring: Preparing for Budbreak
In April, as winter turns to spring and before budbreak, additional pruning is performed to direct the vines along the trellis wire and help achieve a balanced crop for the coming season.
Buds beginning to swell in early April 2020. Notice the fastener on the far right of the image, which helps direct the vine along the trellis wire.
Vine growth by the end of May 2020. Each vine has developed into a small shrub and continues climbing. Within a few weeks the shoots will reach the top trellis wires, approximately 5 feet high, after which they are hedged to manage excessive growth.
Spring and Summer Canopy Management
Throughout spring, particularly in May and June, several more passes through the vineyard are made to remove excess growth, including suckers that emerge from the base of the trunk. Thriving shoots are also carefully positioned along vertically trained trellis wires to maximize sunlight exposure and encourage healthy air circulation.
During the summer months, the vineyard crew continues monitoring each vine closely. Additional canopy management—including vine hedging and leaf pulling—is performed throughout the season to expose the fruit to sunlight, improve airflow, and promote even ripening.
By midsummer, shoots have reached the top of the trellis and are carefully hedged. Leaf pulling and canopy management improve sunlight exposure and airflow around the grape clusters, supporting healthy fruit development.
Veraison and Ripening
Did you know that all grapes begin their life green? As late summer arrives in July and August, Pinot Noir grapes begin changing from green to deep purple, marking the start of ripening. This transformation, known as veraison, signals one of the most exciting stages of the growing season.
In the weeks leading up to harvest, the vineyard team may perform a “green harvest,” removing selected grape clusters so the vine can focus its energy on ripening the remaining fruit. This careful balance helps produce the highest quality grapes possible while adapting to the conditions of each vintage.
Harvest Season
Harvest marks the culmination of an entire year’s work in the vineyard. Depending on the season, picking may begin as early as late August and continue through early November. The timing is determined by weather, grape variety, vineyard elevation, and the desired style of wine, with every block harvested at its optimal moment.
Harvest is the culmination of the vineyard year, with each block picked when the fruit has reached its ideal balance of ripeness, acidity, and flavor.
The vineyard cycle begins again each winter, with every season building upon the last. From pruning and budbreak to veraison and harvest, every decision made in the vineyard influences the character and quality of the wines that ultimately reach your glass.
