Simonet&Sirch Pruning Workshop

Andrea Bonfatti, the Australia and New Zealand representative for Simonit&Sirch, conducted a spring workshop at The Vale and Kilikanoon Vineyards. The Simonit&Sirch pruning method emphasizes vine health and balance by minimizing large cuts to enhance sap flow and implementing shoot thinning for optimal balance.

During the workshop, Andrea outlined the four key principles of this methodology and discussed how winter pruning and spring shoot thinning contribute to the development of long-lasting, resilient vine structures. To illustrate the consequences of pruning cuts, he removed the bark from a vine at Kilikanoon using a chainsaw. This demonstration revealed desiccation of tissue under the pruning wounds, which correlates with the size of the cuts made. These areas of desiccation can disrupt sap flow, highlighting the benefits of soft pruning practices for vine health.

The workshop was highly subsidised by the Wine Grape Council of South Australia, through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and the Government of South Australia.