Individual Vine Viticulture

 

What is it that makes our wines unique?

I’ve been asked to answer this question quite a few times over the last couple of weeks, so maybe some further explanation is necessary.  I always start by stressing that the intricacies of our wines originate from thorough hand labour in the vineyard.  But I now realize that this is a vague reason to many people.  So I racked my brain today, while thinning Sauvignon Blanc, for a moniker to best describe the practice I employ.  I settled on “Individual Vine Viticulture”.

Through many hours spent doing the same jobs to the same vines, I’ve come to realize that every vine is subtly different and needs to be treated as such.   It really becomes obvious as you prune, tie down, shoot thin, shoot position, remove leaves and cluster thin, that each vine has its own “personality”.  I’ve written about the broad definition of terroir in the past, and it’s effects are certainly applicable here.

These individual vine differences are especially observable in the Niagara region due to extreme soil variability and a consistently high incidence of winter injury.  The re-planting of winter-killed vines leads to rows filled with multiply-aged vines, thus adding yet another level of variability that must be accounted for by the grower.  I challenge anyone to find a vineyard in our region that has not been touched with winter injury over the years.

As the size of a vineyard increases it becomes next to impossible to treat each vine as an individual.   That is why crew-based and mechanized labour (for leaf removal and pruning in particular) are on the rise in most vineyards.  Jobs are done quickly, with a broad stroke and questionable accuracy.  I strive to trend in the opposite direction, precise and methodical, where  every vine gets my full attention.  I can now better explain the second most asked question in the last two weeks:  Why don’t you just expand your operation and make more wine?

It is my goal to continue to craft wines whilst practicing Individual Vine Viticulture on the rows I choose to vinify.  Right now, I spend nearly every day from March to November obsessively tweaking my vines in one way or another. Scheduling days for actual “winemaking” jobs is always problematic but ultimately doable at our current production size of 500 cases.  With wine quality at stake, Five Rows has no plans for expansion in the foreseeable future.

Go small or go home!

August 1st

 

August 1st marks yet another important time on the Winery calendar.   The first berries are threatening to turn colour, faint blasts of bird bangers can be heard in the distance, and our cherished new barrels are starting to board ships in France.  The anticipation is palpable!

Winemakers are busy working out the logistics of the coming harvest, while Viticulturalists can be spotted zooming around the Peninsula, horse trading for the best fruit.  “Who’s got Pinot Gris?  Who needs Riesling?  Who’s on first?”  It’s a frenzied time for all involved.  Grape growers can just work hard, pray for good weather, and hope that all their fruit will make the grade.

In the vineyard, fruit exposure and crop load management are the focus.  These are achieved through cluster thinning, strategic leaf removal and timely Botrytis control measures.  My goal in the tight-clustered varieties (Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc) is thinning them down to a point where each bunch has some elbow room within the canopy.  This allows space for cluster expansion and helps alleviate potential “hot spots” for rot.  It’s a finicky and costly undertaking, but I’ve learned the hard way that it’s essential to producing quality wine.

The recent stretch of hot and dry weather in Niagara has set us up for what could be a solid vintage.  As always, fall conditions will be the ultimate judge.