Page 32 - Grapevine July-August 2015
P. 32
Around The Vineyard
found that we could pull more leaves and earlier in California’s premium wine-growing regions—to
the season to gain benefits of disease prevention and alter VSP-Guyot trained vines to allow more shad-
enhanced color in Pinot noir,” Skinkis said. ing and to be careful with leaf removal recommen-
The research also showed that leaf removal done dations.
early in the season—such as fruit set to pea-size—
led to the berries burning less often from overexpo- “With increasing drought concerns and overexpo-
sure. sure in arid regions in particular, there seems to be
more modification of that system, such as the ‘flop-
Although some growers have pulled all of their py VSP’ where catch wires are positioned at lower
leaves in the cluster zone to get added benefits in heights but upper canopy catch wires are not lifted
their fruit, studies have shown that about 50% leaf to allow more shading,” she said. Wine specialists
removal was enough to achieve benefits, compared are also seeing more VSP canopies where the vines
with not pulling at all, Skinkis said. This same are shoot positioned on the morning sun side but not
research was done in vineyards with vigor and large on the afternoon sun side, to protect the fruit from
leaves, which Skinkis said led to high canopy den- overexposure, she added.
sity and higher amounts of shading for the fruit.
“Those vineyards with moderate vigor did not show California
the same benefits of leaf removal due to an already
better-exposed canopy,” she said. Leafing at set is one key to canopy management
for vineyard manager Jake Terrell, St. Francis
Skinkis said she is most familiar with canopy man- Winery and Vineyards in Santa Rosa, Calif. “We try
agement in trends in Oregon, but she thinks there is to leaf early. I worry when we leaf late, the grapes
a general trend in the western U.S.—such as eastern aren’t used to the sun and they can get a sunburn,”
Washington, eastern and southern Oregon, and in he said.
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Page 30 The Grapevine • July - August 2015 877-892-5332
