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Durbanville Hills Newsletter - May 2012

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in the news » Durbanville Hills Newsletter - May 2012
published on: 30 May 2012      source: Durbanville Hills Cellar
 
What's Happening To the Vines... Are They Dying? No, but shhh... they're nodding off to sleep!
I normally tell you about what's happening in the vineyards and this month is no exception. The shortening of the days as winter approaches will soon trigger the petioles (just a fancy word for stalk) to detach from the shoots, dropping the leaves to the ground. Above ground everything is currently preparing for survival in the cold, and soon only the "skeletons" of the vines will remain. Personally, I think our vines are overreacting by imitating the actions of their counterparts in colder climes where they are exposed to real winters with snow. In those areas, it is much more important that the vines protect themselves by ensuring a total absence of vegetal growth that can be damaged by freezing. Our vines grow in a cool climate but nevertheless go into hibernation just in case it gets really cold. In comparison, vines growing closer to the Equator don't hibernate but instead produce two crops a year!

(Secretly, I thank my stars I'm a cool-climate winemaker - imagine coping with two vintages every year! To tell the truth, our vines are actually acting quite sensibly as they far outlive their overactive northern cousins and produce better quality grapes while doing so.)

While the leaves are dying off above ground, underground the roots are still growing and will only stop doing so when the soil cools down. In the absence of active leaves that allow for photosynthesis, the energy for this growth comes from the plant's reserves stored in the form of starch. These reserves will also serve as fuel when the vines awaken and start budding as temperatures rise.

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