Viticulture — Growing Wine Grapes
Great wine begins in the vineyard. Viticulture is the craft of coaxing the best fruit from a place across an entire year.
A year in the vineyard
The annual cycle starts with winter pruning, which balances crop load against vigour. Spring brings budbreak and flowering; summer's shoot growth and berry set follow, with canopy management and water decisions shaping quality. At veraison, berries turn colour and begin to ripen, accumulating sugar and flavour into autumn.
Harvest, the season's culmination, is timed to balance sugar, acidity and phenolic ripeness. Because climate, soil and site — collectively terroir — differ so much, no single recipe fits; great growers read their vines and their place.
Key points
- Pruning balances crop and concentration.
- Canopy, water and canopy management shape quality.
- Harvest timing balances sugar, acid and ripe flavour.
- Terroir — soil, climate, site — defines a wine's character.