LOWER LAKE — The air was thick with anticipation when nearly a dozen professional vineyard workers took their places in Michael”s Vineyard at Six Sigma Ranch on Saturday.
The adrenaline was rushing as each competitor was ready to battle for the title of Lake County”s Best Professional Grapevine Pruner ? and for cash prizes as well.
The whistle sounded. “Snip, snip, snip…” Almost too fast to follow with the eye, right hands cut off last year”s growth. “Swush!” With forceful movements, left hands pulled bundles of severed shoots from the trellis wires.
Spectators watched in awe as the pros treated their six bushy vines to a crew-cut in just a few minutes, the record time being 2 minutes, 11 seconds.
Speed is one factor in pruning ? accuracy is the other. The cuts have to be made in just the right spots, leaving the perfect number of healthy buds for this year”s growth. The judges took both speed and accuracy into account when they named the winners.
Following the pros” competition, the spectators got a pruning lesson from Six Sigma Ranch winemaker Matt Hughes. “Pruning is the foundation upon which great wine is built; we are letting everyone in on that secret,” Hughes said. “It”s awesome to see our friends ending the day with a new skill and an appreciation for the hard work behind each bottle we produce.”
After Hughes” informal lesson “Pruning 101,” amateurs were invited to try their hands on a couple of vines and the lucky winners went home with bottles of Six Sigma Wine.
