Pruning Grapevines for Cold Climates in Wisconsin

Learn about pruning 1-year-old, 2-year-old, 3-year-old, mature, and concord grapevines from our winemaker, Philippe Coquard!

[@simonm1229]

The Best video for grape pruning!!! WELL DONE!

[@WollersheimWinery]

Glad it was helpful!

[@samhill3496]

Excellent vid. Been raising grapes all my life. 3rd generation. 68 now. Still learning.

[@melissahamiltononlifeafter8554]

He is so awesome! I have watched so many pruning videos and these are the best! I would say get the camera a little closer so we can see which ones he chose to prune a little better because he is so fast but love them! A master!

[@WollersheimWinery]

So glad you enjoyed it! The focus is really the thought process. Master that and you can master pruning! Each vine is different, so learning the why is the most important part.

[@michaelwray4359]

Thank you so very much sir you are so amazing and thank you for your time and all your wonderful Advice

[@Maximka1100]

Thanks for detailed lesson on concord pruning. I pruned my concords like other grapes just a week ago. But will do as you showed next season. Great vineyards you have.

[@WollersheimWinery]

Glad it was helpful!

[@dustyflats3832]

Thanks Philippe! I have some seedless to grow on an arbor for shade and a couple seeded to train as you do. They are just one year and hope they survived our crazy weather.

[@flaviusfratu4]

Thank you for the video , please keep the lessons coming !

[@WollersheimWinery]

More to come!

[@luckysevenairammo1217]

Great video ! Super helpful. I just planted eight pink catawba vines ! What northern extreme cold varients do you grow for a true red wine ?

[@timhintz]

Thanks for the great information.

[@WollersheimWinery]

Our pleasure!

[@oa.vodopiyanov]

Beautiful vineyard! What landing pattern do you use? Width between rows? Row spacing? Stem height?

[@user-nacv-8867]

Great video

[@WollersheimWinery]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@gheryfcf]

We have bad winters. We take down the wines from the poles in the autumn and we burry them in the ground for the wine to survive. We also cut short (near the ground). Thank you for the info🙂

[@WollersheimWinery]

Sounds great!

[@jmaiatrader2925]

I assume this is a cane pruning method!

[@28ebdh3udnav]

Thank you. I'm looking into starting my own winery. I have some recipes of homemade wine i have made. Its a combination not some different fruirs and grapes. I'm not looking into making an "award winning" wine,. Inwant to sell wine on my own

[@wjbrinkman]

I'm in minnesota was wondering what variety of concord grape you would recommend planting for a zone 4a

[@WollersheimWinery]

I recommend reaching out to Double AA Nursery in New York state for more accurate and detailed information on particular Concord variants.

[@Godlillithadameve]

Have you ever dealt with bull cane? I am currently grow a three year old dessert grape vine and the length between the buds are a foot long. Any information on what to do wil be appreciated.

[@WollersheimWinery]

Consider giving the Concord vines ample space - a generous 10 feet by 10 feet allocation. Aim for a pruning range of 60 to 70 buds per vine, especially for vines that have matured beyond the 5-year mark. It's advisable to reduce the frequency of fertilization to ensure a balanced and thriving vineyard.

[@leomeilak6532]

I have a 6 month grapvine so in the spring cut any shoots that are smaller then pencil size. And keep the vine to 2 trunks correct?

[@WollersheimWinery]

Yes, that's generally a good approach for managing a young grapevine. In the spring, you can prune any shoots that are smaller than pencil size to encourage stronger growth on the remaining shoots. Keeping the vine to two trunks helps to promote balanced growth and fruit production. As the vine continues to develop, you can continue to monitor its growth and adjust pruning as needed to maintain its health and productivity.

[@francismarcelvos5831]

This way of growing grapes is outdated. Now the grapes grow in the shade of the leaves. During the year you top the leaves and the grapes still grow under the leaves. Because the grapevine is fed by the leaves, which you cut, the grapevine can only support a small amount of grapes. Because you cut most of the old branches that could grow leaves, the only leaves that are left are on the grape producing branches. If you use the old branches and lead them to grow UNDER the grapes and you take away most leaves from the grape producing branches, the grapes are in full sun, ripen fine and the area under the grapes have the leaves growing. The old branches also will produce grapes, but these you can cut. In essence, the grapevine wants to produce a lot of leaves and a lot of grapes. The amount of ripe grapes depends on YOUR policy. Everybody keeps to outdated pruning that keeps the grapevine small, the yield of grapes small and the rootsystem small. I get 30 kilo's ripe grapes from just one grapevine. You are glad if you get 5 kilo's of grapes per grapevine. Listen to the grapevine, don't listen to old fashioned wine makers. They repeat the mistakes of their fathers and grandfathers.

[@jeffmeyers3837]

@francismarcelvos5831 Wow I want to know more about your grape pruning style. I'm an old gardener but new to grape pruning. 30 kilos of grapes sounds amazing. So do you have a main trunk up to a certain height (eg: 5-ft) and 1 or 2 extremely long cordons, or how do you do it? Any details would be very helpful. Thanks.

[@francismarcelvos5831]

​@@jeffmeyers3837 Treat your vines as trees, allow them to grow bigger and don't keep them small like in vineyards. New branches with leaves must provide food for roots and fruit, old branches are defoliated for 80% - 90 % so sun and airflow get to them. Allow cordons in tiers, one above the other and lead new cordons behind and under the fruitbearing branches. Plant fruit trees among the vines and lead new branches into the trees. Prune the new branches to one third in length only late in autumn but don't cut old branches away. Every year the amount of fruitbearing and leaf bearing branches must be expanded. Fruits in sun and airflow, leaves in the shade. High up is more airflow. Some out of reach fruits are for the birds, no netting needed. Have cats walk the garden, birds with sit higher up and eat the fruits there, and also insects. I allow birds to nest in my garden. I also take away old leaves, which are prone to mildew. Don't give too much firtalizer, as this encourages aphids and mildew. Smaller berries give better wine. Cover the ground with branches, except a small pathway. Grass and weeds will die and the leaves keep the ground moist. Check for aphids and mildew regularly, unless small birds do so, like in my garden. Take away old leaves from fruitbearing branches to allow for good pollination first and for ripening and drying later. Instead of summer pruning, put new branches in the shade of fruitbearing branches and on the ground. When having harvested, you can allow for two months of uninterupted growth, at most thinning all the branches for airflow. French vines are prone to mildew, plant resistant vines. Stonefruit trees are harvested before summer, so then it doesn't matter if you cover your fruit trees with new branches. Have pruning equipment on long poles. One persone cuts the ripe grapes, another person catches it in a little net on a pole. Leave some grapes for the birds up in the trees, then they won't eat the grapes lower on. Rainy year? Take away big leaves. Put out bird baths and nest boxes. Robins and tits don't eat grapes, but will eat aphids, seeds and little berries. Take away their thirst and hunger in winter and provide nesting opportunities in spring. They will do most of the work for you. Blackbirds eat snails and ripe berries and grapes. Leave grapes for them in higher places. I haven't tried it out, but you can try rabbits and guinee pigs. Frost is often only low to the ground, budding grapevines survive late frost if they are higher up. In winter you can rearange your vines so that next year's fruit hangs in the sun. Prune the soft green branches, Old spend thin branches cut back to two or three eyes, depending on thickness of the thinner branches. Thick branches on old branches are pruned like thick branches on new branches. Every year the vines will get bigger. In the end, one vine will get five times more fruit than in the previous system. Leaves, birds and cats are welcome in my garden. I don't spray, no netting and in my garden there always are just as many birds as in the rest of my street.

[@WollersheimWinery]

Thank you for your input. While we appreciate alternative perspectives on grape cultivation, our years of experience and dedication to quality winemaking have led us to firmly believe in the effectiveness of our methods, which have been honed over generations combined with modern education. Scientifically speaking, our approach prioritizes achieving the ideal concentration of grapes for our climate and terroir. Excessive fruit load on a grapevine can lead to reduced grape quality as the vine's resources become spread thin, impacting both fruit ripening and vine health. By focusing on quality over quantity, we ensure that each grape receives the necessary nutrients and energy to develop its full flavor potential. Moreover, it's important to note that one ripe grape from an overburdened vine will not have the same concentrations of flavor compounds and sugars as a grape from a vine that has been properly pruned and managed. Our commitment to quality extends from the vineyard to the bottle, ensuring that each grape achieves its full potential before being transformed into our exceptional wines. We value open dialogue and diverse viewpoints within the winemaking community, but we stand by the science and expertise that inform our practices. Thank you for your understanding.