In every season the vineyards have different colors and characteristics. Right now the predominant color is green — and the shapes change with the work we do among the vines.
Late spring
Selecting and tying the best shoots
In May and June the vines suddenly sprout new shoots, and our main job is to select the best branches with a light pruning, then gather them on the cables so the sun can warm them and ripen the grapes. The branches are tied horizontally to the iron wires that run from pole to pole, so the sap spreads more evenly across all the growing shoots.
Through summer
Topping, thinning, and constant care
To keep the vegetation within the height and thickness we want, we prune and top the branches — an operation that varies with how fast they are growing.
In July we do the thinning: one of our goals is a low yield per acre. It is careful work, removing some bunches during summer, before ripening, so the number and spread of the strongest grapes match the level of ripeness we are after. By August the work on the soil generally slows down, as the growth of wild plants eases off, but keeping watch over the vineyard stays essential right through September.
Waiting for harvest
Why we tie the vines
Binding is what lets the grapes ripen properly in the sun, as we wait for the September harvest.
It is a real pleasure to watch our rows and our circular vineyard grow a little more every day, looking ahead to the harvest and the next vintage of Vernaccia di San Gimignano. As we like to say: good wine is not made in the cellar, it is made in the countryside.
