These grapevines await their winter pruning. Mechanically pruning vines that have severe bud damage from cold may be a cost-effective option, says Vincor’s Frank Hellwig. Reports of vine death in British Columbia, Canada, following last winter’s bitter cold spells may have been greatly exaggerated. Initial reports from Vincor Canada’s field staff indicated that some blocks were wiped out, prompting conservative estimates of the 2009 crop. However, while the potential for disaster existed, the truth wasn’t as ugly. Speaking to growers at the B.C. Wine Grape Council’s annual viticulture and enology conference in Penticton last summer, Vincor’s Frank Hellwig estimated that […]