Day in the Life of the Vineyard - Episode 3

Spring in the Vineyard is marked by a verdant transformation. The buds break and release vigorous shoots that reach into the warming air, stretching out a canopy of foliage to collect the vital energy from our solar system’s star. The second day of May presented azure skies dotted with friendly white clouds, perfect for getting work done. The skillful crew of 6, headed by one of our vineyard managers, Chewie, arrived in the morning to begin the tedious task of de-budding and de-suckering the vines. This involves removing the unwanted sucker shoots from the rootstock trunk and culling the smaller secondary shoots, allowing the primary fruiting canes to flourish unchecked by competition and leaving room for air to circulate, decreasing the threat of disease and allow organic sprays, like sulfur, copper and oils to combat common diseases like powdery mildew and Botrytis bunch rot. Each careful, skilled touch of the vines throughout the vintage is meant to promote the best fruit possible by harvest, to ensure the quality wines you have come to expect from Shumaker Vineyards. Take a minute to enjoy the video and hear Chewie describe what he is doing. Cheers, Doug.