Vineyard Pruning Begins the Growing Season

If you have the opportunity to visit the vineyard this time of year, you’ll notice our vineyard crew hard at work. Even though the vines are dormant, winter is one of the busiest seasons in the vineyard as we prepare each vine for the upcoming harvest.

Keeping every vine in excellent condition is one of the many reasons Knudsen Vineyards consistently produces premium fruit. Vineyard pruning is one of the most important tasks of the year, laying the foundation for a healthy growing season and balanced crop.

The First Step: Selecting the Parent Canes

The first step is to carefully inspect every vine and remove the previous year’s growth while leaving just two canes. Selecting the correct canes requires tremendous experience and precision, as these remaining canes become the parent canes that will produce the current season’s fruit.

Brush Pulling

Once pruning is complete, the crew begins what is known as brush pulling. This physically demanding task involves removing the clipped canes from the trellis wires.

The vine’s tendrils—those tightly curled “curly Qs”—may appear delicate, but they grip the wires with incredible strength, making this one of the most labor-intensive parts of vineyard pruning.

After the old growth has been removed, the remaining canes are carefully tied to the trellis wires, preparing the vines for the 2023 growing season and future fruit set.