vineyard workers

Non-harvest vineyard work takes place approximately from January through August. Hand harvest work begins approximately from August through October.

Vineyard Work

• Pruning by hand – removal of unwanted wood from vine.

• Suckering by hand – removal of any extra unwanted shoots on cordons/canes, trunks, removal of any short canes and shoots from the cordon/cane • Erosion control by hand – install fiber roll, straw mulch, silt fence, water bars

• Replant grapevines by hand in existing vineyards

• Training young vines by hand to stake and onto the fruit wire

• Canopy management by hand – moving wires to position shoots within the trellis system to maintain a vertical growing grapevine • Leafing and lateral removal by hand – removing leaves from the fruit zone during the growing season; removing lateral growth from the canes within the fruit zone and growing canopy

• Installation and repair of trellis by hand, wires, stakes, hoses and drip emitters in existing vineyards and new developing. • Pest Control by hand (growth tubes, milk cartons, netting) – install growth tubes and or cartons around young vines to protect plants from feeding animals and to promote good vine growth; install bird netting over the vineyards fruit zone to protect fruit from feeding birds • Weed control by hand – using mechanical string trimmer for weed abatement and or a shovel (long-handled) to cut weeds from under the vines and for weed control around slopes of vineyards and along adjacent roads. Employer complies with CCR,Title 8, Section 3456 regarding hand weeding.

• Crop thinning by hand – removal of clusters during specific times of year to enhance fruit quality

• Layout/marking fields • Picking up rocks, removing from vineyard

• Applying fertilizer by hand

• Hedging with handheld hedgers & gas powered hedgers

• Olives (pruning & harvesting by hand)

• Harvesting grapes by hand (approximately August through October)

• Grape hand sorting in the vineyard and on a hand sorting table, at the winery facility located at the same address as the vineyard where the fruit was picked