While winter vineyards may look sparse and far from exciting, this quiet season is actually laying the foundation for a successful harvest. Pruning is one of the most important times in a vineyard. It ensures the vines stay healthy. This way, they can produce great grapes next season.

Vine pruning involves cutting back the majority of the previous year’s growth. This usually happens in the dormant season. There are many benefits to pruning. It is key for shaping the vine and controlling the vine's energy. It directs more energy to growing high-quality grapes instead of too many low quality ones. If you don't prune vines properly, they can grow with excessive vigor. You may think you want more grapes, however, that will produce less concentrated juice, lower the quality of the fruit and increase chance of disease.

Proper pruning helps slow ripening. It ensures high juice concentration. It also stops diseases like bunch rot and powdery mildew. It also helps with the ripening process later in the season. If you have excessive vigor, it will be hard to achieve even and complete ripening. Yet, it is a fine balance. If you over-prune the vines, you can weaken them permanently and cause their death. Pruning aims to boost both yield and quality. It also helps keep your vines healthy.

Now that you know the basics of pruning it is time to put your knowledge to action. You can join one or both of these pruning workshops in Portugal to see how important it is first hand.

Feel & Soul is located in the Vinho Verde sub-region of Baião. The owners saw the property and felt it "filled their soul", hence the name. They are an organic vineyard in a stunning region, where you can see flocks of sheep grazing. The sheep help the fertilization of the land and reduce their carbon footprint even more.

The pruning workshop takes place in their stunning vineyard. You will learn what pruning is, why they prune and the phases of pruning that they do in their vineyard. You then will get a hands on experience where you can assist. This will help you appreciate the hard work in a vineyard, especially an organic one.

You will work with manual and electric cutters. You’ll also practice tying the vines using elastics, string, and wires. No need to worry! After all the hard work in the vines, you'll enjoy a tasting of one of the wines made from the grapes you pruned. If the weather is nice, you’ll enjoy this tasting in the vineyard. While enjoying the property's stunning views of the Douro River.

This unique wine xp experience is for a minimum of 2 people and under two hours. Make sure to book soon, you don't want to miss this opportunity and have to wait till next year. You can book here. 

Quinta São João Batista is a unique winery in the Tejo region. It boasts a colonial-style manor house and a history that is a century old. Their cellars have one of the largest barrel collections in the Tejo region, 585 barrels. The estate is special. It is located in Portugal's UNESCO Biosphere, the Paul Do Boquilobo Biosphere Reserve. While you visit, you can experience spotting many types of birds.

This curated wine experience lets you learn how and why they prune their vines. You will have an overview of how to prune as well as safety information. Then you get to prune some vines. Once you’ve built up a sweat and an appetite, you’ll return to the winery. There, you can enjoy a wine tasting paired with local treats like DOP cheeses and smoked meats.

There is a minimum of five people, so grab a few friends or bring the family to take part in this special tour. You can book this custom wine xp experience here.