During the dormant vegetative season in winter, we carry out dry pruning throughout our vineyard. We prune to respect the movement of the sap flow, in order not to interrupt it or put obstacles in the way of the natural movement throughout the interior of the plant.
Winter pruning serves to extend the life of the vines and begins to adjust the yields of the new vintage. Pruning the oldest vines will still have to wait a few weeks, as we carry out this practice at the right time, depending on the terroir and the age of the vines.
At the moment, we leave between 20 and 22 buds per vine, and then further adjust production in spring with green pruning.
For a clear graphic example, for our younger wines, we are looking for a realistic production of one magnum per vine. For age worthy wines, it is approximately one bottle per vine.
After pruning, the wood has ‘wounds’ from the cuts that must be treated, as they are a gateway for certain infections. For three years we have been treating them with trichoderma, which is, a beneficial fungus. The use of trichodermas is a natural alternative for biological control, so we don´t need to use chemical products.
Healthy soil
In our effort to restore the soil to its natural balance after harvesting and carrying out a needs analysis, we have applied organic fertilizer from a local shepherds’ sheep, which has been cured for 3 years.
We top up the compost with some chopped up vine canes. In a few weeks, we will plant ground covers, probably pulses, to recover the levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium.
Since the end of the harvest, it has only rained about 100 – 120 mm, so we hope that winter will bring us more rainfall so that the plants can face the new vegetative cycle with good water reserves.
