You have likely heard from us over the past year that we have purchased an additional 120 acres of land so that we can plant more private vineyard estates. Now we are in the exciting moment of planting these vineyards, and I have been speaking with The Vines of Mendoza Chief Agronomist, Francisco Evangelista, to learn more about how this is done.
Vineyards are truly beautiful. A lot of work goes into creating that magnificence. The expansion will require 40,000 posts, 300,000 vines and 1,125 miles of wire.
The first step in the process was to clear the land. The ground was completely untouched and covered in brush. It takes a bulldozer 4-5 hours to finish 1 acre. The goal is to eliminate all vegetation to better identify the slope and contour of the plots. It’s important for Francisco to see what parts are higher, lower or where there are runoffs and other natural occurrences that could cause problems.
After the land is cleared. Francisco has enough perspective to design the vineyard. He has to determine where the rows will be placed with the least amount of movement of dirt. Lower parts of the ground will be used for roads and higher parts are used for vines. After planning the design, the bulldozer pushes dirt into lower parts and pats down small mounds. Francisco uses wire to mark the limits of the simulated shape of the vineyard to make the boundaries clear. The next step is to plow the rows and install the trellis system. Check back for that excitement in my next blog!
Ross Szabo is passing through Mendoza after 2 years serving in the Peace Corps in Botswana.