March 2024

I had no idea that sheep have long memories… and hold grudges. So, it seems. I thought it was just elephants. The grandchildren of the sheep we evicted from our fields 11 years ago in order to plant a vineyard have sought revenge by attacking many of the freshly cut vine spurs. There may be a ringleader, it is hard to tell as they all look the same, but they have decided that vines are tastier than the copious amounts of luscious grass I provided. Must be the lure of sap oozing. I called Trevor Gore (their human dad) and imparted the sad news, after which we moved them to the remainder of the paddock with a severe reprimand. Perhaps, we should have over-wintered them when the vines were completely dormant, or, as is suggested by other vignerons, we go and find a small ‘heads-down’ flock like the Shropshire breed. This could be the subject of a PhD thesis no doubt.

On the way to the Alps, we break for a night in Aÿ, Champagne. In the morning we stop at a roadside layby and inspect a section of vines that have been winter pruned. Most of the chardonnay vines we inspect have been pruned using the ‘Chablis’ method. That is to say, 5 spurs/shoots that move from 2 buds through to the longer cane. There are 3 canes with one dropped and another picked in rotation annually. This allows for the lack of fruitfulness in the basal buds of a chardonnay vine. It is difficult to establish but a great art form of pruning. We use a single guyot pruning system, with a new cane selected and bent onto the fruiting wire each year.

Winter pruning

I invited a very experienced horticulturist-turned-wine-educator to come and join the winter pruning gang. Polly Gibson survived the experience but soon realised that it requires plenty of thought and technical knowhow. She kindly wrote the following piece online:

‘Dieback is conical’…something I never knew but learned from the brilliant Dave Morris, of Mountain People Wine in Wales, who guides the biodynamic practice at Winding Wood and joined us for pruning last month.

Winter pruning is one of the most important moments in a vineyard. Every cut affects not only the coming year, but also the years ahead. Working to a 3-year plan with a pair of secateurs takes some concentration! Choosing the best cane for fruiting, creating spurs in the right place for year 2, and at Winding Wood, moving from double to single guyot over a period of seasons. Pruning for 'controlled dieback' to reduce the height and spread of the vine (thereby improving sap flow and fruitfulness) involves considered, measured cuts that allow the vine to reroute its energy into living wood.

Proper pruning is time-consuming, labour-intensive, mentally complex work that often gets delegated (necessarily) to hired workforce groups. In larger vineyards, working on speed rather than spec is sometimes the only choice but it serves as further kudos to Winding Wood that every vine is nurtured in this way.

Time (and weather!) will tell how it plays out in the wines of the future, but one thing is certain; exceptional wines are borne of exceptional vineyards, and Winding Wood already delivers on both.

Cane tying

We welcome back Doru and his small team to tie down our new canes. They managed 500 per person in a day which is a faster rate than I can manage. That said, we have done a lot to get things prepared so they do not have to use their judgement on which cane to select. After they have finished, I go back along the rows and make a few adjustments – that is why these vines are so pampered !