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In the wine industry, the winemaker is often the person to receive the accolades and gold medals. But, the vineyard manager is equally — if not more so — responsible for the finished product. The old adage that, “You don’t make great wine, you grow it,” is a time worn expression simply because it’s true. The job of the viticulturist is a demanding, year-round occupation and critical to the success of any winery.
So, let’s pull on our Wellingtons and spend a quick year in a virtual Virginia vineyard.
We’ll begin our internship after the harvest, which occurs in September and October.
The months of November and December are the quietest of the year. The trellis system now supports a scramble of naked vines that during the growing season held a canopy of dense leaves and grape clusters. In the early winter, however, the vines simply remind us of Phyllis Diller’s electrified hair. These vines will remain untouched until January to allow them to winter harden. During this period, maintenance of equipment, repairing the trellis system and patching holes in the deer fencing will be our primary focus. And yes, taking an occasional sip of last year’s wines, to make sure they are aging nicely, is also on the “to do” list.
In January, with the coldest part of winter upon us, we begin to venture into the vineyard and start the annual pruning. Pruning is undertaken to remove last year’s growth so as to stimulate the entire vine to produce an abundant new crop. If we did not prune, during the summer the vines would quickly be overgrown, and the quantity and quality of the fruit would decline.
Legend has it that prun
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