Minimally invasive viticulture
Maximum freedom for vines and nature

The basic conceptual idea is to intervene as little as possible in the local biome based on the current data and studies in all areas and techniques of viticulture (see above, cf. olive growing). On the one hand, this results in optimised health and longevity of the vines in terms of sustainability. On the other hand, nature is given as much space as possible without the use of fossil fuels and with a minimal CO2 imprint.

‘An integral part of this concept of manual labour is also to allow the vines, olive groves, animals and people to rest in this natural environment.’

The various work steps include pruning,  wood-extraction, green work with shoot reduction, looping in the shoots, defoliating the grape zone, halving the grapes, looping the shoot tips back into the wire frame and pre-harvesting (see above).

‘In the course of caring for the 1,300 vines, I'm working on each plant 8 to 10 times a year, which means I'm in individual contact around 10,000 times a year.’

Conventional Pruning with 

• Conventional pruning with large wounds creates drying wedges of dead wood that reach deep into the trunk and are at risk of infection
• Typically, there is colonisation with fungi that can lead to apoplectic death of the vine within a few hours as ESCA syndrome, a problem that is also becoming increasingly widespread in the context of climate change
• In addition, the balding of the vine heads associated with the conventional pruning technique leads to rarefaction and narrowing of the sap flow paths, forcing the plant to form small-calibre bypass circuits every year.

‘The health of the vine does not begin in the foliage, but at the root and cane. During annual training pruning, the correct positioning of the cane and orientation of the two basal eyes take absolute priority over other considerations.’

New vine architecture with Guyot double ramifications and central cordon

• Raising the grape zone to a height of 1 metre
• consequently greater distance to the pathogen reservoirs at the bottom and top of the vine
• Less radiant heat from the ground
   
• Re-training the vines for controlled ramification in a 2-arm pin/stretcher system (Guyot double)
• initial positioning of two suitable pins below and parallel to the wire system
• and orientation of the first and second eye of these pegs perpendicular to the wire system
• the lower eye becomes the new cane the following year, the upper eye the new fruiting cane
• so that the cones and the two basal eyes are always positioned neatly perpendicular and orientated to the wire system during further annual pruning
   
• consequently minimal pruning trauma with 4 small, non-infection-prone wound areas on the upper side of the respective ramification
• no drying wedges
• no formation of a stunted head
• maximum, laterally balanced and uncompromised physiological sap flow
• improved overall defence against infection for the vine, more even flowering with balanced vine load into the two ramifications

‘The sap flow compromised in the stunted head area (see below) by constrictions and bypass circuits is replaced by ‘physiological’ pruning with an unimpaired and vigorous supply - from the root to the shoot tips.’

Trunk rehabilitation and rejuvenation of the vine using ‘phyto-surgery’

‘The special quality and justification of ‘physiological pruning’ and ‘phytosurgery’ are also reflected in the new aesthetics of the treated canes, whose healthy, meandering growth makes them recognisable as liana plants again.’

Quality optimisation through defoliation measures

• Exposure of the grape zone at the shot-grain size stage by removing basal leaves
• while preserving, or at most partially removing, the 3rd and 4th leaves opposite the grapes, which are important for their optimal primary supply
• better aeration with reduction of infection pressure through faster drying 
• Increased enjoyment of light with radiation-induced thickening of the grape skins that determine quality
• Increase in the colour index and extract value
• Avoidance of stingy shoot formation

Quality optimisation by halving the grapes

• Strict yield regulation (grape closure stage) by removing the lower 1/2 to 2/3 of the bunch
• High extract enrichment and flavour density in the remaining part
• Protection against infection through loose berries with better aeration and faster drying

• the grape mass of up to 2 tonnes resulting from this reduction measure is dropped into the under-vine area
• This returns it to the nutrient cycle of the vine, rather than to the vineyard.

Quality optimisation through loops instead of topping

• no usual mechanical topping/cutting of up to 10 shoot tips, which are instead looped back into the wire frame by hand
• no phyto-shock
• naturally regulated, stress-free, calm and self-limiting shoot growth
• no substrate competition between untimely new shoots (stingy shoots) and grapes
• Consequently, increased concentrations of yeast-utilisable nitrogen and minerals in the grapes
• early veraison as a physiological, seasonal and natural ripening and ageing of the vines

‘The aforementioned measures result in dense, varietal extract wines of high quality.’

Harvest

• First selection pass after colour change with removal of all developmentally delayed, uncoloured grape components
• Second pass the day before the main harvest with highly selective removal of unfit, contaminated grapes
• Accurate manual main harvest into small boxes weighing 10 kg
• This avoids pressure-related berry damage and must formation in the collection container, which can lead to premature oxidation and the development of off-flavours in the grapes

Inertisation and tamping

• Covering and cooling of the harvested material with inert gas (argon) and lid sealing in the field
• This prevents oxidative processes in the field
• Rapid onward transport to the winery and prompt start of the pressing process
   
• Crushing the grapes - ethymologically Latin ‘calcare’, meaning ‘to press’ - is a traditional pressing method
• Pinot Blanc and Silvaner are already crushed in the field
• This results in gentler processing on the press, which is accompanied by less lees formation due to shearing forces on the one hand and softening of the skins in the field due to pectin release for better pressability on the other hand
• the grape seeds remain intact and cannot release any bitter substances
• Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir are crushed at the winery before being fed into the press

Plant protection

• abiotic by reducing the infection pressure through defoliation, halving of bunches, light and low foliage wall design
   
• Manual removal of infected leaves or parts of leaves
   
• Biotic through targeted application of the spray agent into the foliage wall using a battery-powered backpack sprayer with adjustable hand blower
• No dispersion of the spray mist into the environment thanks to the use of injector nozzles
• Indication based on the internet-based VITIMETEO platform, which uses regional agrometeorological weather stations and the local station network to calculate forecasts relevant to viticulture with regard to disease incidence and pest development 
• If possible, without any application (2020, 2023)
• Only prophylactic use of milk (powdery mildew) and purely organic plant additives (downy mildew)
• Herbal extracts are used here, no conventional herbicides or pesticides
• the herbs applied preventively 48 hours before the expected infection event prime the vine as elicitors in such a way that it reacts more quickly to the pathogens in the sense of induced resistance and activates the plant's own immune defence mechanisms
   
• No use of chemically synthesised plant protection products
• No use of sulphur * (harmful to predatory mites, among others)
• No use of copper sulphate * (heavy metal intoxication of the soil, damage to the microbiome, no earthworms, especially harmful to wild bees)

• Risk: in adverse weather conditions with high infection pressure, no quality crop or total loss

  * both substances are authorised for organic and biodynamic viticulture up to an application rate of 3 kg/ha p.a. of copper sulphate and are used against powdery and downy mildew

Soil amelioration and fertilisation

• No large-scale mechanical tillage, thus no sealing horizons through compression
• No mulching
• Use of the brush cutter for selective grass cutting
   
• Formation of a humus cover layer
• Microbiological enrichment and diversification of the soil
• Promoting the spread of naturally occurring, site-adapted dry plants
• No threat to insects/small animals
   
• organic fertilisation with sheep's wool pellets
• selectively directly on the vine without including the wider under-vine area or the vine alley
• Mycorrhisation of the drilled vine roots with fungal mesh granules
• Support of the soil microbiome and aeration by spreading approx. 1500 earthworms/10 ares

Irrigation

• If necessary, make planting holes at the respective vine root with a 4cm diameter auger 
• then selective irrigation of the individual vines as required using hose irrigation
• consequently only minimal water loss due to evaporation or unnecessary irrigation in the under-vine area
• by pump-free falling pressure from four cisterns of 8000 litres each

Wire systems

• Completely renewed installation of Corten stainless steel poles and wires
• visually unobtrusive fit into the surroundings
• deeper corrosion is prevented by the surface barrier layer
• no metal enters the soil (cf. zinc piles: 1.5kg/ha)

Vineyards Grapes and wine quality