Legends of the vineyards
Cocktail Magazine edition No. 45, grateful for the opportunity.
One of the most important phases in grape cultivation occurs after the harvest. The vineyards go through what we call "vegetative rest"; the vine loses its leaves and only the woody part remains. This phase occurs every year, from autumn in the months of March, April, and May, and throughout the winter of June, July, and August. The appearance of the plant is trunk, arms, and shoots. Only the woody part has no green structure due to the soil temperature. During those months in Ica, the climate fluctuates between 7°C to 13°C; there is no absorption of nutrients from the soil by the roots, which we call the rest or dormancy of the vine. From July onwards, the pruning of the vineyards begins. This is important because by reducing the number and length of the shoots, fewer clusters will be produced, allowing the shoots to thicken and improving the quality of what is produced in the vineyards. Ultimately, pruning prolongs the life of the vine and ensures the harvest year after year.
Speaking of pruning, I remembered a text that I wrote for the digital magazine of Pisco. It's about a very old legend of the vineyards that workers told me on one of the estates in Villacuri valley (pampa de Villacurí-Ica). It goes like this: Every year, neighbors Jose and Mario competed to see who would obtain the largest grape harvest in Ica. Both were very good and dedicated vineyard owners who sowed their vines with love & passion. But one day in July, when Jose arrived at his vineyards, he found that the leaves of his vines had ended up being the food of his donkey "Jacinto". Jose became so furious that he chased him with a whip all over the field, "he hit him like someone else's child, as they say around here." Meanwhile, Mario observed until at one point he commented to Jose: "You have forgotten to fence your field, that's why Jacinto and the animals of the neighbors get in, you have to fence it." Jose nodded with his gaze, but was still annoyed by the disaster.
Weeks passed, spring arrived, and like every day, Jose went early to work in his vineyard. Upon arriving, he was speechless, he could not believe what he was seeing. His vines had sprouted with a force never seen before, they were loaded with grape clusters. He compared his vineyards with that of his neighbor Mario and despite the damage caused by Jacinto, it was splendid. He wondered how was it possible? What had happened? Simple, the donkey Jacinto had taught them a secret of nature not discovered until then: "vine pruning". From that moment on, pruning became one of the most important phases in vine management. That year, Jose and Mario celebrated the harvest and the discovery with a big party. Enjoy pisco responsibly.
By Livio Pastorino Wagner
Sommelier, Specialist, and Pisco Taster
Registration: CRDO-PISCO 2020 RCO-034-2011
@elmagozurdo
Cocktail Magazine No. 45, october 06, 2021
Cocktail magazine (spanish) in issuu
Pisco & music
October 2021.
Where pisco is the only protagonist!
#lapiscoteca #piscosour #winelover #pisco #pasionporlacata #bar #elpiscoesdelperu #vino #vinosdelperu #pisco #piscolover #Lima #Peru #Moquegua #Tacna #Arequipa #Ica
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