Vineyard / Field guide

Observe the vine through the year

A seasonal rhythm makes a small vineyard easier to understand.

Use growth stages as your calendar.

Vines respond to the season where they grow. Dormancy, budbreak, canopy growth, veraison and harvest are more useful organizing points than one universal month-by-month schedule. Record those stages for each cultivar and compare them across years.

Connect the work to the structure.

Pruning during dormancy and managing the growing canopy serve different purposes. Learn your training system and cultivar’s growth habit before choosing what to retain. Check posts, wires and ties regularly, and leave yourself room to inspect the fruiting zone.

Make scouting a habit.

Look at leaves, shoots and clusters. Record when a symptom appeared, which vines it affects and how it changes. Clear observations help a local specialist identify a problem; a photograph alone does not always establish a diagnosis.