Why is pruning so important for vines? How can it help build resilient vineyards?
For our pruning session, our guest speakers included Marco Simonit, one half of the world’s first and most respected ‘master pruners’ Simonit&Sirch, Antonio Capaldo of Feudi di San Gregorio in Campania, Italy, and Matt Strugnell of Ridgeview in Sussex.
Marco Simonit, master pruner and global viticultural superstar
Marco Simonit described the morphology of the vine – it is naturally a creeper, and to prune it effectively and sustainably, we must respect that. His catchphrase for the afternoon was ‘your role as a good pruner is to put in live wood’, a shift in the mentality of vine pruning, more often based around removing previous unwanted wood. Much like Marco’s clear passion for viticulture, the idea of breathing new and exciting life into the vineyard was front of mind.
He showed examples of poor pruning technique around the world and how it impacted the productivity of the vine, making it less sustainable.
He demonstrated some of his key principles through beautiful hand-drawn pictograms: respecting the vascular (sap) flow of the vine through small cuts; controlling the branching of the vines; trying to use protective wood. His techniques have been proven not only to improve productivity, but to reduce the effects of trunk disease which can lead to replanting entire vineyards.
Antonio Capaldi from Campania’s Feudi di San Gregorio
A popular producer among members and one of the pioneering B-Corp certified companies in Italy, Antonio has worked with the Simonit&Sirch method for nearly two decades. He explained that the high frequency of rain combined with many very old vines with old lymphatic systems leaves them at a high risk of Esca trunk disease. They are invested in saving their old vines, not only from a cost point of view (to not replace them) but also from a heritage and sustainability angle as well as recognising the quality of wine they produce.
Antonio sees evidence of the vines pruned using this method to be more resilient to the climate shocks that the region is increasingly experiencing – including saving more grapes than their neighbours last year when freak weather patterns affected them. He shared the statistics around the tangible benefits that they have seen working with the Simonit&Sirch method to ensure less vine disease and death as well as more intangible benefits that he has experienced by upskilling their growers.
Matt Strugnell, homegrown hero from Ridgeview
The pruning techniques at Ridgeview, while quite standard, were causing problems of trunk disease to the point where Matt felt that he was going to be responsible for ripping out one of the most well-loved and well-known vineyards in the country. Marco came to visit and they spent five hours in the vines, understanding the problems; he now visits annually to help manage the vines and train the vineyard team.
He has accepted the idea that the vines can (and should!) spread along the trellis, and they are already seeing healthier vines. For Matt, his primary objective was prolonging the vineyard’s life, and he now says that they will last ‘well beyond his retirement’.
Want to find out more about our producer seminars? You can read about the sessions on biodiversity, water management and hybrid varieties on our sustainability hub.
