Pruning the Vines

We have been very busy the last several weeks in the vineyard. When the rain stopped and the sun came out, the vines began to grow like crazy. In the pictures above Lee Cassel and his friend Quentin are working on the Cabernet Franc vines to control their growth and increase their production. They are training the vines using the Scott/Henry pruning technique which channels the vines growth both upward and downward simultaneously.

In the second photo, Becky and Jody Cassel prune the Vidal Blanc vines using a VSP (Vertical Shoot Placement) trellis technique. This system forces the fines to grow upward through a series of catch wires. Both techniques are being used to maximize production and improve the quality of the fruit. All we know is that it takes a lot of work to make a good bottle of wine.