Year in the vines – part 22

Viticulture is a growth business. At this time of year especially, the plants are shooting up like junkies. With 50 hyperactive acres to attend to, the main task now is to control the canopy by raising the trellis wires to ensure the growth keeps vertical rather than spreading horizontally. Once the branches are thus contained, they can be trimmed with an over-row tractor attachment and given the once over with the leaf blower, a bespoke viticultural device that peppers the vines with high pressure jets of air. This serves a dual purpose: to shatter the leaves, giving the bunches more...