Pruning for the Season Ahead: Where the Waterford Vintage Begins
“Pruning is like life itself. You reflect, you look back, you cut away the bad and build on the new.” – David van Schalkwyk
On a chilly August morning, we walked out into the vineyard with viticulturist David van Schalkwyk. In between the Chardonnay vineyards high up the property, where the morning mist still hung over the Helderberg mountains. Around us, the rhythmic sound of pruning filled the quiet air, accompanied by the soft chatter of the team at work.
August is an exciting time at Waterford Estate. While much of the vineyard appears to be resting, the new season is already beginning. We often think of harvest as the beginning of a new vintage; however, the work starts long before the first grapes are picked. It starts with the vine itself, as we prune for the season ahead.
It is one of the first decisions made in a season that will ultimately influence what happens at harvest. With each cut, our team is making a series of small decisions that will shape the months to come.
Looking back to prepare for what comes next.
For David and his team, this is an opportunity to look closely at every vine and assess the work of the previous season. They consider the tonnage taken from each block, how the vines performed, and where adjustments may be needed for the year ahead.
The weather, soil and location are all taken into consideration when pruning starts. The Stellenbosch region has experienced a particularly dry and warm winter. These changing conditions influence how the vines prepare for the coming growing season. There will never be two seasons that look the same, and the constant changes are part of what makes David’s work so important.
Pruning is therefore not simply a task to be completed. It is a time to assess, make decisions, and set the foundation for the season ahead.
The balance between quantity and quality.
There are two main reasons for pruning: crop control and canopy management.
Crop control is the practice of managing the number of fruit-bearing shoots. These bearers are the selected vines left intact during pruning from which new shoots and grape clusters will grow during the coming season. The number of bearers left on a vine has a direct influence on its eventual yield, vine health and grape quality.
For David, pruning is about finding balance. A vine has a finite amount of energy and nutrients to distribute, so carrying too much fruit can spread these resources too thinly across the bunches. Thus, the team must carefully select which bearers to retain to encourage the vine to focus its energy on producing fruit with greater concentration, flavour and character.
At the same time, pruning helps create a canopy with sufficient light and airflow, both important for healthy vine development and reducing the risk of disease during the growing season.
Experience in every vine.
Pruning at Waterford Estate is carried out by a permanent team of six women who have been trained by David and work across the entire property. We believe in investing in our people, building knowledge, and creating opportunities for the team to grow alongside the vineyard. Pruning is a skill that takes time to develop because every vine is different, and every decision matters.
The team uses electric secateurs, making the work faster and more effective while also being gentler on their hands. Different cultivars also look different, from the soft, delicate Sangiovese vines to the hard and tough Cabernet vines. Knowing which bearers to retain and which to remove is about understanding the vine itself.
The team moves from vine to vine, assessing each one individually. This becomes particularly important when working with older vineyards, where the goal is not simply to produce a crop this year, but to protect the long-term health and life of the vine.
A new season starts here.
At Waterford Estate, great wine begins long before harvest. It begins with the soil, the vines, the people who care for them, and the choices made while the vineyard is still sleeping. With every carefully considered cut, the next vintages start to take shape.
