Summer Vineyard - Row management

 Leafing the vines-

One of the chores during the summer in a coastal vineyard like ours is to pull off leaves 

on the lower part of the plant. 

This allows for better air circulation and more efficient coverage when spraying Sulfide, both strategies combating the formation of Powdery Mildew (PM).

Powdery mildew afflicts vineyards worldwide and must be controlled in order to properly produce grapes. Sulfur; a traditional material used with two major positives: it’s cheap and effective. In addition, it’s been used to control PM around the world for over 100 years, with no development of resistance. 

Leafing provides plenty of air circulation during the humid summer months. We leave a full canopy to provide shade from the direct sunlight otherwise the grapes can get severely sunburned.

I snapped these shots with my iPhone this weekend...

The Husband hard at work....

You can see the grapes hanging below the canopy. 

Critical Mass Of Grapes Definition: The amount of grapes needed to generate a sufficient amount of wine to fill our wine cellar and keep the Husband happy all winter long.
Now that's critical!