WINTER PRUNING IN VALL (DO) BIBEI

comunicacion450
12 hours ago
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WHERE OUR WINE STYLE BEGINGS

In the vineyard there are decisions that seem small, but they condition everything. Winter pruning is one of them. It's not just about cutting wood: it's about deciding, months in advance, how the vine is going to grow, how we're going to balance its vigour and, ultimately, prepare it for what we expect from it. This well-executed system provides more longevity to the plant and healthier wood. This is where the production of the vineyard will be reflected in this harvest.

In Valdeorras, and especially in the Val do Bibei, pruning is not done by routine or calendar. It is done by Listening to the surrounding environment, the climate and the behavior of each plot. And that explains why Rafael Palacios prunes calmly, precisely and with a very clear idea of what he wants to express.

A VALLEY WHERE WINTER MATTERS

The Val do Bibei is a high-altitude valley, with cold winters and persistent humidity. Annual rainfall is high (around 850–1,000 mm/year), largely concentrated in the cold months. Simply stated: in winter, wood takes longer to dry and pruning wounds coexist for weeks in a humid environment and that can facilitate the entry of fungi.

This context makes pruning more than just a viticulture task: it is a decision for the health, balance and future of the vineyard.

PRUNING AS THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE WINE

The vine can be understood as a living structure. Pruning defines where future bunches will form and how the sap will be distributed. When pruned without following a clear logic, the plant gathers large cuttings, aged wood, and imbalances that drag on for years.

For this reason, pruning seeks to provide three essential objectives:

1. Balance, avoiding excess load or vigor.

2. Structural coherence, so that the vine ages healthily.

3. Continuity, so that each year is a consequence of the previous one.

PRUNING TIME: A KEY TOOL

In areas where spring can bring frost, when to prune is fully as important as how. Pruning too early can bring the cycle forward and increase therefore the risk. For this reason, in colder or more sensitive plots, late pruning or even double pruning is used, a technique that allows sprouting to be delayed and the vine to be protected.

In addition to reducing risks, this decision influences the style of the wine: slower ripening, greater freshness, better definition, and a balanced vigour that increases the quality of the grape.

PRUNING IS ALSO USED TO HEAL WOUNDS

Every cut is a wound. In a humid climate, those wounds are sensitive sites. That is why you avoid cutting old wood unnecessarily, look for clean and well-positioned cuts and build a vine that does not force large amputations over time.

The purpose is clear: to protect the longevity of the vineyard and its natural balance.

WHY WORK IS DONE THIS WAY AT RAFAEL PALACIOS

Because it is not only about producing grapes, but about expressing a place. And to express a place, the vine has to be balanced, healthy and well understood.

Many of the qualities that are perceived in wine – freshness, tension, depth and ageing capacity – begin in winter, on a cold morning, in a plot of terraces, with a decision made shoot by shoot.

Winter pruning is the silent gesture that holds everything else up.