Pruning Time in Wine Country

Pruning time in wine country

These two workers will have little trouble pruning the young vines in this vineyard. Usually a good sized-crew of pruners work the rows of the vineyards from one side to the other. In the Napa Valley, Sonoma and northern California, pruning is done towards the end of January. In the colder wine regions, as in the Sierra Foothills, pruning is delayed as long as possible. The chance of freeze is greater in the Sierra Foothills. Delaying pruning delays bud break. If frost occurs during bud break, that is very bad news for vineyard growers. This wine country photograph of the day was taken on the Silverado Trail near Calistoga. The wild mustard adds a magical touch to this field of vineyards.