FEBRUARY 2023

Dear Friends,

It is pruning time, tempo di po-ta-tu-ra. These four syllables mark the official start of vintage 2023. As far as vineyard operations go, pruning is a far cry from the fanfare and glamour of harvest. This seems unfair; anyone can pick, but pruning is an art. It takes place in the quiet of winter and, though picturesque, the vines are dormant and leafless. The air is what Italians call terso i.e. downright cold. Temperature is important; we hope to be spared the dreaded late frosts that can half our crop. Chardonnay is our first budding grape and the last to be pruned.

The act of pruning is contemplative and solitary. Though we might all be in the same vineyard, we are spread out amongst the vine-rows, each left to the company of our own thoughts. Pruning is the most important time of the year and connects us deeply to every single vine. It also happens to be one of the most tedious subjects under the sun to describe.

We will spare you the details of guyot, vegetative balance, vine longevity and climate-proofing. Our job is to select, with surgeon-like skill, which vine shoots to promote and which to cull. Each vine requires individual consideration and a moment of triage before the shoots are cut or twisted upon themselves. These cuts and choices determine fruit distribution for the next two years. Pruning must be performed manually and mindfully.

Coming to America