Pruning and harvesting grapes

Spain is famous for its wines, which are produced on a global scale: there are over 900,000 hectares in the country which are destined to vine growing. Nevertheless, taking care of the vineyard is not as easy as it may seem and there are plenty of factors that influence the quality of the final wine. Most of work carried out in a vineyard is only temporary; therefore, winery owners need a lot of workers just for the season. Pruning and harvesting grapes are a perfect job option for people who would like to supplement their income as temporary workers in Spain.

In order to get a bumper crop, it is necessary to carry out the pruning, a process aimed at increasing the fruit yield: for the vine to live longer and to bear more fruit. Pruning grapes is performed by hand and it requires prior knowledge. Between November and March, during the winter dormant period, “dry pruning” is carried out, which consists in cutting the old vine branches and leaving the new ones, which are fertile and will bear fruit during the next harvest. Later on, between May and July, when the shoots reach the appropriate size, “green pruning” is carried out. This process consists in controling the vegetation by removing the shoots which are no longer needed and leaving those which should keep on growing. Then, usually in August, thinning clusters is performed: those clusters which haven’t matured enough are removed.

Finally, comes the harvest of the grapes: a long and laborious process which takes place between August and October in peninsular Spain, whereas in the regions of Andalusia and Canary Islands it is performed in July. The degree of ripeness of the grapes determines the perfect moment to start the harvest. The whole process has to be carried out before the fruit starts to ferment, which is why so many workers are needed in a relatively short period of time. Each summer there is a search for thousands of agricultural labourers in wine regions, and it it not easy to find them. But, luckily, with JDM Spain winery owners won’t need to worry about a staff shortage.