Custom Farming

摘要

Bien Nacido Vineyards on California's Central Coast works with buyer/winemakers so they get exactly what they want. MANY winegrape growers are familiar with such techniques as leaf pulling to allow more sunlight to penetrate the vineyard canopy, raising the brix of the fruit and thereby increasing the intensity -- and, hopefully, the price -- of the wine. Perhaps they're even familiar with thinning off the lateral shoot growth or removing the wings and shoulders from grape clusters with the goal of achieving top-end prices. But what about going through the vineyards a couple weeks prior to harvest and hand-thinning individual grape clusters to take out green, bitter berries? Now that's high-end.