Vineyard Infrastructure

Okay, the vines are planted, now they need a trellis infrastructure. As with everything in vineyard development there are a hundred considerations. Your planned future techniques for growing, pruning, fruiting, winter protection, sun exposure, airflow, bird protection and everything else is considered when designing the trellis system. In terms of priority, winter protection and ripening the fruit are paramount in this region. In cool climate grape-growing and, let\'s face it with our severe winters, it is essential to cover the grapevine graft (where rootstock is grafted with the vine) and bury next year\'s fruiting canes. It\'s called \"hilling up\" and it means turning up the soil in a furrow to cover the row of grapevines with soil to a depth of 6\" to 12\". When I was looking for property I was very conscious of this important requirement, and I looked for deep workable soils to make hilling up easier.

With trellis design, your first or bottom wire has to be 8\" to 12\" above ground level. This gives important strength and protection when soil is hilled up in the fall and removed (de-hilled) every spring. Heavy gauge wire (11 gauge) usually \"crimped\" is used for this first trellis wire to give maximum strength and tension.

What about posts? Posts to support trellis can be made of many materials, but most common are cedar posts and steel tee bar posts. I chose cedar for all the end posts and row posts that are installed every 20 feet. Mainly for the natural look, but also because with cedar you can put in very tall posts which is important down the road when we consider protection from animals and birds. High posts allow bird netting to be installed completely over the rows and still leave enough room to work under the netting. Row posts will extend 7 feet out of the ground.

So - we\'ve made the decisions and we\'re moving forward quickly as we get ready to plant grapevines in May. No doubt there will be changes as unexpected factors come to light, and I will attempt to update and keep notes on everything - if only for my own records. Hopefully my experiences and the lessons I learn can help other vineyard dreamers - but of course I have made the right choices and that I will soon be producing strong grapevines and eventually excellent grapes and wine. After all, that is the ultimate goal!