The Green Harvest

For several days now we've been occupied with thinning the crop, known as ‘the green harvest.’ The number of clusters will be reduced, which ensures full ripening of the remaining grapes. 

The two to three clusters per shoot are reduced to one—and it's of no small importance, which cluster remains; as a rule, it's the lowest one on the shoot. 

And if possible, it should hang without any contact to the other bunches of grapes, and spend a decent amount of time each day in the sunshine—although too much sun

would mean sunburn, just like for the people working the vines.

It's easy to see that this calls for particularly meticulous work, and costs us more time in the vineyard than any other activity during the grower's year.

 

Weingut Kollwentz

Burgenland

www.kollwentz.at

We've got boundless energy, where our vineyards are concerned!

The shoots have achieved their full length, and will now be pruned to half a
metre above the topmost wire. This prevents the shoot from snapping off at
the wire, and any resultant reduction in the height of the canopy. There
should be about 10-25 primary leaves on each shoot. More leaves than this
costs the vine too much energy, while too few leaves lead
to inadequate development of sugar in the cluster. An exacting job; rotating
knives are used to trim the shoots.

Weingut Kollwentz
Burgenland
www.kollwentz.at