With the majority of our wireframes being 30+ years old there is always a lot to repair, mostly broken piles and wires. So after pruning when all the old wood has been removed we tour through the vineyards, count the missing piles and strain the intact wires. So far a rather relaxed piece of work. The first muscle hangover comes with the new piles which need to be carried to the right place and rammed into the soil.
Nick definitely won the price this year for ramming most piles. The piles at the end of each row are particularly strong and tied to an anchor in addition so the wireframe can be strained without the pile moving. And sometimes this anchor is broken too. Or hidden by a lot of soil which eroded down the hill over the decades. So we have to dig and try to find them or if we don’t hammer a new anchor in.
We finished the last bits and pieces yesterday and as the grass starts growing and the first green appears on the trees we’ll finally start tying the canes to the wires next week. All ready for spring!