Maintaining a Proper "Vine Balance"

2019 was a great year for the vineyard here at Chrysalis. While we contended with various animals, and a small blight of drosophila (fruit flies), we got some of the best fruit Chrysalis Vineyards has seen in years.  Just because the fruit is picked though, doesn’t mean the work stops.

As the weather gets colder, the vines begin to enter dormancy. This is a hibernation, of sorts, for them and the vines begin to slowly shut down by abscissing their leaves. After the leaves have fallen, lignification sets in. This is the process of the green shoots becoming hard and rigid. The now hardened shoots or “canes” are pruned in anticipation of the upcoming growing season. 

Careful pruning techniques are applied to ensure that a proper “vine balance” is maintained. A vine left unpruned would produce more clusters of grapes than it is able to ripen. Should a vine be over-pruned, it would only produce leaves and a minimal amount of fruit.  Pruning also aids in the removal of any diseased or damaged areas on the vine. About 90% of the current season’s growth is removed from the vine to allow a new fruiting area to grow. This is paramount in the 2020 growing season and key in Chrysalis wine production.