The history of wine in the U.S. is inextricably tied to Cabernet Sauvignon, and Louis M. Martini is an essential part of that history lesson. For 90 years, their wines have defined our Cabernet expression, and that continues today. Cheers to that.
Vines don’t have a supporting structure the way a tree does. It’s a vine, so it’ll grow along the ground until it finds something to hold on to. This is where vine training and trellises come into play.
Trellises are the structures that winemakers use to support climbing vines. Similar to how farmers use tomato stakes, vineyards implement wooden stakes with wires around them to strengthen the vines and help them grow in a certain fashion. This essentially gives the vine a “trunk” which becomes the nutrient transit system for the plant. By the way, these trellises are put in place well before the vine even produces fruit — usually two to three years prior.
There are a bunch of different frameworks and vine training systems suited for different climates, terroirs, and the like. Between Guyot, Smart-Dyson, tendone (Italian for “big tent”), bush vines, Geneva Double Curtain, and others, there are trellis systems perfect for windy vineyards, snowy vineyards, island vineyards, and everything in between. Regardless of the system, they all help carry the weight of the fruit, provide a structure for the vine’s canopy to rest on, and protect the plant from wind and other harsh elements.
From the soil to the vine, today we’re gonna break down the concept of vine training. What does it mean, how is it used, and how does it benefit wine? Tune in for more.
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“Wine 101” was produced, recorded, and edited by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big old shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin for creating VinePair. Big shout-out to Danielle Grinberg, the art director of VinePair, for creating the most awesome logo for this podcast. Also, Darby Cicci for the theme song. Listen to this. And I want to thank the entire VinePair staff for helping me learn something new every day. See you next week.
E. & J. Gallo Winery is excited to sponsor this episode of VinePair’s “Wine 101.” Gallo always welcomes new friends to wine with an amazingly wide spectrum of favorites, ranging from everyday to luxury and sparkling wine. (Gallo also makes award-winning spirits, but this is a wine podcast.) Whether you are new to wine or an aficionado, Gallo welcomes you to wine. Visit TheBarrelRoom.com today to find your next favorite, where shipping is available.
