The Vineyard Never Sleeps
While the vines are growing and the grapes are beginning to form, a series of essential interventions is underway in the vineyard — all crucial for the future wine. July is a time when experience and timing play a key role in shaping the quality of this year’s harvest.
As part of our integrated production approach, we also grow herbs between the vine rows. These have a positive effect on the vineyard in several ways: they improve soil structure, retain moisture, reduce erosion, and support humus formation. When in bloom, they also attract pollinators and beneficial insects that help maintain natural balance in the vineyard.
We let the herbs grow up to the height of the first lower wire. The ideal time to mow them is during the flowering stage. If they grow too tall, they begin to trap air humidity, which encourages fungal diseases — something we want to avoid. As our vineyard manager says: “It has to be balanced. Too much of anything can be harmful.”
Work in the vineyard involves multiple activities happening at once, in a sequence that suits the vine and remains manageable for both workers and tractor operators. The days around the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius are traditionally critical due to the increased risk of diseases such as downy mildew or powdery mildew. Protection needs to be applied on time — treating infected vines later is more difficult and far less effective. In this case, prevention is key.
In July, we also carry out leaf removal using a defoliator. The grapes are still young and have enough chlorophyll to withstand stronger sunlight. The extent of defoliation depends on the location of the vineyard — those exposed to the midday sun require a gentler approach — and on the grape variety. This work must also be done at exactly the right time.
In all young vineyards planted this year, we’ve already installed support posts and the wire framework. The young vines are regularly tied and trained to a single shoot to help shape their growth correctly.
Throughout July, we also performed the first grape thinning. As you may know, we reduce the crop load to around 1.5 kg of grapes per vine for white varieties, and to just 1 kg per vine for reds. This is done while the grape clusters are still forming. Depending on the vigor of the plant, we leave only 6 to 8 clusters per vine. This task requires experience — choosing the right clusters to leave is essential. The result is a higher-quality harvest, as the vine puts its energy into feeding fewer grapes — sometimes less than half of what it would naturally carry.
At first glance, these steps may seem minor — but they’re the very foundation of this year’s vintage. Hoeing, tying, pinching, canopy management, disease protection, grape thinning… It’s a mosaic of dozens of small tasks that must be done well before the vine even begins to bear fruit.
Every drop of the finished wine carries with it an immense amount of care, time, and well-timed decisions. And that is the beauty, challenge, and true craft of viticulture.
