Behind The Vines This Winter
Winter in the Vineyard: Pruning, Craftsmanship & the Season Ahead
As we step into a brand-new year, the vineyard has entered its winter dormancy. After a prosperous harvest last year - producing over 36 tonnes of beautifully ripened grapes - the vines are now resting before the new growing season begins in April. While the vineyard may appear calm on the surface, winter is one of the most important and active times of year for our team.
January and February are dedicated to careful winter pruning, an essential process that shapes not only the coming vintage but the long-term health and character of our vineyard. Over the next couple of months, more than 50,000 vines will be pruned by hand - a slower, thoughtful and highly skilled task that plays a crucial role in the quality of our wines for years to come.
Working with International Master Vine Pruners Simonit & Sirch
One of Bride Valley Vineyard’s greatest strengths - and something we are extremely proud of - is our ongoing work with internationally renowned Master Vine Pruners, Marco Simonit and Pierpaolo Sirch. Their pruning method underpins everything we do in the vineyard during winter.
Founded over 30 years ago, Simonit & Sirch work with some of the world’s most prestigious vineyards, including Château Latour, Hennessy and Louis Roederer in France, Prats & Symington in Portugal, and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars in California. They operate across 15 countries, with training schools in Italy, Bordeaux, Napa Valley and South Africa, and are particularly respected for their expertise in marginal cool-climate vineyards - making their approach ideally suited to Bride Valley.
Their philosophy treats pruning as a true craft. Through specialist training and consultancy, they teach vineyard teams how to manage vines in a way that promotes the accumulation of living wood, ensuring better sap flow, improved balance between growth and yield, and greater resilience over time. This method strengthens the vital connection between the vine, the terroir and the final wine.
Marco Simonit visits Bride Valley several times throughout the year to assess vine health, advise on immediate actions and provide ongoing hands-on training for our team. Their approach has proved essential in combating Esca, a persistent fungal trunk disease. Thanks to their revolutionary pruning techniques, our team has learned how to save infected vines without causing further damage - significantly improving vine longevity, productivity and overall vineyard sustainability.
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