Why are grapevines pruned?

Pruning is where the vintage begins — months before a single grape is ripe. It's the winemaker's first and arguably most consequential decision, made vine by vine during the cold winter months.

**Why prune at all?** Grapevines evolved as forest climbers, programmed to grow as much vegetation as possible to reach sunlight. Without pruning, a vine produces too many shoots, too many grape clusters, and not enough energy to ripen any of them properly. The result: hundreds of tiny, sour, flavourless berries.

**Controlling yield.** Each bud left after pruning will produce 1-2 grape clusters. A Guyot-trained vine in Burgundy might keep just 6-8 buds; a cordon-trained vine in warmer climates might keep 10-12. Fewer buds = fewer clusters = more concentrated grapes. This is yield management at its most fundamental.

**Training systems matter.** How you prune determines the vine's shape, which affects sun exposure, air circulation, and disease pressure. Bush vines (gobelet) in Mediterranean climates shade their grapes from intense heat. Vertically trained vines (VSP) in cooler climates maximise sun exposure. Each system has been refined over centuries for its specific environment.

**Summer pruning** is equally important. Green harvesting (dropping excess clusters in July-August) redirects the vine's energy to the remaining grapes. Leaf removal around the grape zone improves airflow and sun exposure, reducing rot and improving ripeness. But remove too many leaves in hot climates and you risk sunburn.

**Vine health.** Modern research (Simonit-Sirch method from Italy) has revealed that careless pruning — large cuts that sever sap flow — invites trunk diseases like esca, which is devastating vineyards across Europe. Careful pruning that makes small cuts on young wood preserves the vine's vascular system, potentially extending its productive life by decades.