At this time of year at Grupo Coviñas we are hard at work carrying out one of the most important jobs of the year, dry pruning or winter pruning.
This work is carried out in winter, when the vine is dormant, at rest, and is usually carried out between the months of November and March, depending on the area.
Pruning during these weeks is crucial, as it helps the vineyard in several ways. On the one hand, it reins in the vigour of the plant (the quantity and weight of dry wood), which in turn helps the balance of subsequent plant growth and the quality of the grapes. It also limits the number of buds and, hence, the eventual number of grape bunches. This “cleaning” of the vineyard also improves its overall health and the eventual ripening of the grapes, by optimising the air and sunshine that reaches of the vines.
In Coviñas, in Utiel Requena pruning is done by hand, one grapevine after another, following the spur pruning Royat cordon system, which restricts the number of vine shoots. It is a time-consuming and delicate form of pruning which achieves better vineyard aeration and exposure to sun for next year’s clusters.
