As winter settles over the Cape Winelands, the vineyards at Dekkersvlei enter one of the busiest and most important periods of the year. While the vines rest during dormancy, our team is hard at work preparing them for the next growing season. This week, our focus is on hand pruning our Shiraz vineyard – an essential vineyard management practice that helps create healthier vines and better-quality grapes.
What is pruning?
Once the vines have been pruned during winter, the long canes that produced last season’s grapes remain attached to the trellis wires. Pruning is the process of removing these canes and clearing the vineyard rows before spring growth begins.
At Dekkersvlei, this work is carried out by hand in our vineyard. While machinery can speed up the process, hand cutting allows our experienced team to work carefully around every vine, ensuring the permanent structure of the plant remains protected.
Each vine is slightly different and working by hand allows our team to assess its condition while completing the task with precision and care.
Why is pruning important?
Removing the leftover vine material does much more than tidy the vineyard. It plays a vital role in the health and productivity of the vines.
Improves vineyard hygiene
Old canes and plant material can harbour pests and fungal diseases. Clearing the vineyard helps reduce disease pressure before the growing season begins, creating a cleaner environment for new shoots to emerge.
Supports healthy vine growth
With the old growth removed, the vines can direct their stored energy into producing strong, healthy shoots in spring. This forms the foundation for balanced vine growth throughout the season.
Makes vineyard management easier
A clean vineyard allows for easier movement through the rows during the months ahead. It also improves access for irrigation maintenance and harvesting later in the season.
Protects the vineyard
By carrying out the work by hand, our vineyard team can carefully navigate each vine, preserving the structure of the trellis and avoiding unnecessary damage to the permanent arms and trunks.
Preparing for another vintage
Every bottle of wine begins long before the grapes are harvested. Vineyard work such as pruning, contribute to the quality of the fruit that eventually reaches the cellar.
Our Shiraz block is known for producing grapes with excellent concentration, rich fruit character and balanced structure. The care taken during winter is an investment in the quality of the next vintage.
As we continue working through the vineyards over the coming weeks, each task brings us one step closer to the arrival of spring and another exciting growing season.
Experience Dekkersvlei Vineyards
Located in the heart of Paarl, beneath the Klein Drakenstein Mountains, Dekkersvlei Vineyards is home to handcrafted wines and the world’s first White Pinotage since 2007. Visitors are invited to experience Dekkersvlei through guided wine tastings, cellar tours and vineyard walks while discovering the passion and craftsmanship behind every bottle.
Whether you are a wine enthusiast or simply looking for a memorable day in the Cape Winelands, there’s always something happening in the vineyard throughout the seasons.
Tastings at Dekkersvlei Vineyards
Experience Dekkersvlei for yourself with our Taste the Original wine tasting or a memorable brandy tasting. Pair your tasting with one of our delicious wood-fired pizzas while the little ones enjoy our family-friendly surroundings.
