Pruning and training nature.

I spent most of yesterday pruning Vinoland's Cabernet sauvignon vines. I will also spend most of today, tomorrow and Sunday pruning Vinoland's Cabernet sauvignon vines.  Then, I'll move on to the Syrah. I'm not complaining, I love it.  The weather is behaving, so it's really a joy to be outside in the springlike temps.

The above photograph is from my most recent assignment for my photography class.  The vineyard, in Oakville, has not yet been planted, but the trellising system has already been established. No vines, no pruning.  Easy peasy!

Out with the old.

Do not worry, nobody was harmed in the making of this photograph - especially me! However, these poor, old vines definitely took a beating.

I spotted these vines being pulled out last night on the way home from work. This morning, camera in hand, I was fortunate enough to actually get a photograph of the bulldozer operator pushing the old vines into huge piles. By the time I left work this afternoon all the vines were piled high into 6 or 7 gigantic, tangled mountains of vegetation and steel vineyard trellising stakes - which will ultimately become funeral pyres.

With harvest 2011 well and truly over (and believe me, there has been a resounding, collective sigh of relief heard throughout the entire valley), it is now time to plan for future harvests and replanting old vineyards is often on the agenda.

In with the new.