In October the vineyard gets a well-deserved rest. The leaves turn a brilliant red and yellow. As they fall we give thanks to the Lord for the crop of 2017. Soon it will be time to prune. Pruning is the way we ready the vineyard for the 2018 crop. It’s amazing that our vineyard is now 40 years old and producing the best fruit that it has ever produced.
Now we work to prepare the vineyard for winter sleep. In putting the vineyard to sleep it is very important to spray one last time with fungicide that prevents over wintering fungus such as downy mildew.
Paul V Bonarrigo is the cofounder and winemaster at Messina Hof Winery and cofounder of The Vineyard District of the Brazos Valley.
