Bragato Research Institute’s Post

It's winter in the vineyard, which means we're deep into the pruning process. Ever wonder how pruning works? Luckily, our Vineyard Manager, Andrew Heilburn, was kind enough to take us onto the property and teach us about the spur pruning technique. At Presqu'ile, we use two types of pruning techniques depending on the location, varietal, and needs of the vine: spur or cane pruning. Our Syrah vines, which you'll see in the video above, are spur-pruned. Spur pruning is a technique that involves pruning and retaining two buds on one-year-old wood grown from the cordon (the longer and older wood you see running vertically along the trellis). Andrew makes this look simple, but it's a process that takes a lot of time and attention to detail. After all, successfully pruning the vines sets us up for success as we nurture this year's growth. Watch the video to learn how it works, what to look for, and how the entire process gives back to the terroir. Andrew also drops a little bonus information about how to start propagating your own vines. Have questions about pruning? Interested in learning about something else about vineyard or winery management? Let us know in the comments, and we'll work on making it our next lesson. #winemarketing #winery #santabarbara #california #vineyardmanagement #vineyard

Thanks to my colleague Jacqueline Mitchell who has first hand experience starting a vineyard from scratch, my company published this article which takes a peek to explore the vast, complex aspects of planting vines, both from an old world and new world perspectives. Check it out. #winemaking #wineeducation #winegrowing

Vineyards can be both small & great in size They hold the evidence of hard work, determination & skill of both the winemaker & those working on the vines Varietals are grown, nurtured & harvested, ultimately releasing their natural aromas & those obtained through the various soil types & plant life found on the winery grounds Let's learn more about the humble yet spectacular vineyard The world's oldest known vineyard is the Areni-1 vineyard in Armenia, dating back over 6,000 years. The largest vineyard in the world is the Languedoc-Roussillon region in France, covering over 700,000 acres. Vineyards cover around 20 million acres worldwide. The ideal climate for growing grapes is in regions with warm days and cool nights. Grapevines can live for over 100 years, but most commercial vineyards replace them every 20-30 years. It takes around 600-800 grapes to make one bottle of wine. The world's most expensive vineyard is the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in Burgundy, France. The oldest wine-producing country is Georgia, with evidence of winemaking dating back over 8,000 years. Sustainable vineyard practices include using solar power, composting, and integrated pest management. #uniqueboutiqueandaffordablewine #southafricanwines #accessoriesandgifts #winesyoucantfindinstore #winesandspirits #lifestyleproducts #fyp #vineyardfacts www.invino.co.za

Vineyards can be both small & great in size They hold the evidence of hard work, determination & skill of both the winemaker & those working on the vines Varietals are grown, nurtured & harvested, ultimately releasing their natural aromas & those obtained through the various soil types & plant life found on the winery grounds Let's learn more about the humble yet spectacular vineyard The world's oldest known vineyard is the Areni-1 vineyard in Armenia, dating back over 6,000 years. The largest vineyard in the world is the Languedoc-Roussillon region in France, covering over 700,000 acres. Vineyards cover around 20 million acres worldwide. The ideal climate for growing grapes is in regions with warm days and cool nights. Grapevines can live for over 100 years, but most commercial vineyards replace them every 20-30 years. It takes around 600-800 grapes to make one bottle of wine. The world's most expensive vineyard is the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in Burgundy, France. The oldest wine-producing country is Georgia, with evidence of winemaking dating back over 8,000 years. Sustainable vineyard practices include using solar power, composting, and integrated pest management. #uniqueboutiqueandaffordablewine #southafricanwines #accessoriesandgifts #winesyoucantfindinstore #winesandspirits #lifestyleproducts #fyp #vineyardfacts www.invino.co.za

How do we install 240,000 t-posts on a new vineyard so fast? “Custom” implements and old fashioned hard work! Pedro has this awesome custom post pusher that has gauge legs to adjust for different heights and snaps right onto a compact Kubota front loader. As the crew stands up the posts the tractor operator follows behind to push them in to the pre-set depth. A hand crew follows after we’ve thoroughly watered and posts have settled in to adjust any outliers (posts that are tall/‘proud’) by hand to insure a nice smooth flow to our top cordon wire for the final install. This smooth trellis wire flow helps during our operational phase by making mechanized pruning much easier. WHY IS ALL THAT EVEN IMPORTANT TO OUR WINERY CUSTOMERS?!?! Long term mechanization of vineyard tasks helps us improve fruit quality and consistency while bringing the cost for the fruit much lower than your typical vineyard operation. Typically we see 25%-50% lower fruit costs for the same quality levels for our clients. This can be a crucial component to increase your margin (profit per bottle sold), especially if your winery has seen increasing costs in other areas or decreased sales volumes (I’m looking at you, premium-cost tier TX wineries!). If you need any proof of concept, just look to our customers with 9+ medals and dozens of premium SKUs for the tasting that absolutely kill it in the $25-$80/bottle range that used fruit that cost in the $1,200-$2,200/ton price range! 🍇 🍇 🍇 🍷 🍷 🍷 🏅 🏅 🏅 I’ll keep bringing more planting media as we go! Texas Vine Country FermForge #GrapeReturns #TexasVineyards #TexasWine

🍇 In the Vineyard: An Introduction to the Art of Viticulture🍇 Welcome to the fascinating kingdom of viticulture, where the magic of growing grapevines unfolds to bring us the delightful world of wine. In the next viticultural posts, we'll take a step-by-step journey through the vineyards, unraveling the secrets behind cultivating grapevines and discovering how they transform into the beloved beverage that has captured hearts for generations. Cheers to the captivating world of viticulture and the wonders of the grapevine—our guide as we learn, step by step, the art and science behind this age-old craft! 🌱 Viticulture As A Science The science and art of cultivating grapes, known as viticulture, is practiced intentionally by viticulturists and often instinctively by grape growers or vineyard caretakers. Techniques and methods vary widely across the globe, with grapes thriving in diverse climates, ranging from hot regions like southern California and inland Australia to cooler areas such as England, Luxembourg, and Denmark. 💚 Historical Aspect  Most grapevines belong to the botanical family of Vitaceae, Vitis sp. They are represented as shrub vines (lianas) and appear to be one of the oldest flowering plants on the Earth. Grapevines represent a huge diversity of morphological traits and remain understudied and under-classified in our days.  Interesting fact: Historically, grapevines were more bush-like, growing in well-lit areas. However, during the Tertiary period, as tropical forests expanded, the Vitaceae family evolved into liana forms to adapt to shade and compete for sunlight. Recent groundbreaking research has revolutionized our understanding of the origins and cultivation of wine grapes. In an extensive study analyzing over 3,500 domestic and wild grapevines, researchers have debunked several long-held beliefs in viticulture's history. This study offers a new perspective on the evolutionary journey of grapevines, challenging the traditional belief that grapes originated in Central Asia and spread westward. For the full post, please follow this link https://lnkd.in/dAgCtB6m There you will find also the Greek and Russian versions! Until the next time, keep feeling the GrapeVibes! 🍇🌱🍷✨ #GrapeVibes #WineAdventure #SoilToSip #Soilblog #Soilpost #Vineblog #Wineblog #Soillover #Vinelover #Winelover

Vineyards can be both small & great in size They hold the evidence of hard work, determination & skill of both the winemaker & those working on the vines Varietals are grown, nurtured & harvested, ultimately releasing their natural aromas & those obtained through the various soil types & plant life found on the winery grounds Let's learn more about the humble yet spectacular vineyard The world's oldest known vineyard is the Areni-1 vineyard in Armenia, dating back over 6,000 years. The largest vineyard in the world is the Languedoc-Roussillon region in France, covering over 700,000 acres. Vineyards cover around 20 million acres worldwide. The ideal climate for growing grapes is in regions with warm days and cool nights. Grapevines can live for over 100 years, but most commercial vineyards replace them every 20-30 years. It takes around 600-800 grapes to make one bottle of wine. The world's most expensive vineyard is the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in Burgundy, France. The oldest wine-producing country is Georgia, with evidence of winemaking dating back over 8,000 years. Sustainable vineyard practices include using solar power, composting, and integrated pest management. #uniqueboutiqueandaffordablewine #southafricanwines #accessoriesandgifts #winesyoucantfindinstore #winesandspirits #lifestyleproducts #fyp #vineyardfacts www.invino.co.za

Maximizing resource efficiency is a key factor that #SWOCertified wineries must taken into account. Maintaining both a winery and vineyard requires a lot of energy, which is why many SWO Certified wineries are designed with energy efficiency in mind.

What gives our wines their distinct character? Watch as winemaker, Martin Smith talks us through Paserene’s unique soils and terroirs. UP NEXT: Harvesting Processes Are you enjoying this series? Let us know in the comments 🍷 #paserene #paserenewinefarm #pasereneharvest #harvest2024 #franschhoek #wineharvest

So many of the lessons we've learned in the last 25+ years have been more about "what not to do" rather than "what we should have done more of" to prepare for the situation we're in. This is the perfect analogy for 'laying foundations' before we break ground on something new or even re-strategize to adjust to changing markets. Such a simple reference in the map below on how to use exacting date to lay a new foundation. New collaborations, new angles of view, and a new attack according to the pain of lessons learned! #branddevelopment #visionaryleadership #strategicplanning #strategicpartnerships Bill Tolar Chris Catterton