What are the grapes up to? Winter in Wine Country

“The connoisseur does not drink wine but tastes its secrets.”  - Salvador Dali.

With the Harvest complete and the wine aging, winter is a slower season on the vineyard allowing time for reflection and rest.  

By Winter vines have had all their bunches picked, the leaves have fallen and all that remains is the trunks, the vanes and the vines. For the time being any growth above ground comes to a halt while underneath the ground the vines expand their root systems taking up space and becoming heartier and stronger over the years. As their roots grow deeper, they extend their ability to soak up all the goodness and nutrients of the soil. 

In preparation for the winter months, the vines store carbohydrates in their trunks which they will use in the spring to push the first buds while the winemaker and vineyard staff will prune the vines to direct stored energy into the most desirable shoots come spring. 

The Vinemaker protects the vines from the harsh weather coming using earth, straw, heaters or other materials to keep the vines out of the strongest elements of the winter, literally tucking them in for their long winter nap. 

After an exhausting harvest season the Vinemaker makes his way back inside and tucks himself in for a long winter's nap eagerly anticipating the buds of the spring and the first glass from the last harvests’ vintage come Spring. 

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