Live Pruning Immersion Course
Fritz Westover and Virtual Viticulture Academy are bringing you a whole new level of pruning education by hosting pruning expert Marco Tessari’s Pruning Immersion Course exclusively for Virtual Viticulture Academy Members. This live and highly interactive course immerses you in all aspects of pruning and focuses on your specific pruning questions and the performance of your vines.
“The time spent learning from Marco and Fritz last winter was invaluable. My understanding of, and ability to prune increased dramatically, as well as the way I look at and think about vines in general. I’d highly recommend learning from Marco even if you think you already know how to prune grapevines.” – Kelly, CA
About the Course
The focus of this course is to teach specific methods to encourage vine longevity, balance, and to actively prevent grapevine trunk diseases and will cover the basics of pruning then an in-depth look at spur or cane pruning techniques in all their variables.
The 2021 Live Pruning Immersion Course is packaged into 3 half-day lessons spread over several weeks for a total of 12+ hours of training. A different topic will be covered each day with ample time for Q&A. Vines will be analyzed and virtually pruned by the experts in class, making your vines an active part of the seminar. This method gives you the chance to fully grasp the essence of pruning techniques and understand how to adapt them to your vineyard needs to build your vines to the best aging potential.
A “refresher course” track is also offered for those that took the Pruning Immersion Course offered last year. The focus of this course is to go back over the most critical topics covered last year and have Marco answer any questions that came up during pruning. This course is packaged into 2 half-day lessons spread over several weeks for a total of 8 hours of training. A day will be spent answering questions to prepare for the upcoming pruning season and another day will be spent critiquing your pruning work. This method gives you a chance to revisit the vines you pruned last year and improve your skills moving forward.
Vines that are well-pruned live longer and are less affected by grapevine trunk diseases.
“Marco’s pruning techniques have given our team a comprehensive understanding of not only how to prune correctly, but also *why* we prune correctly. We plan to fully implement his teachings at our site because we can see that pruning correctly will greatly impact the long-term health of our vines.” – Garret, TX
Who Should Attend
The 2021 course will benefit growers most who have vines of producing age or are at least approaching their first yields. Grower participation in the group Q&A as well as submission of vine photographs from each grower is a key focus of the course. This course is a must for any grower who wants to learn how each pruning cut affects vine physiology, nutrient and water flow for the vine, and their vineyard’s resulting long-term health and productivity.
The Refresher Course is designed for the grape growers that took the 2020 Pruning Immersion Course and have questions or would like a refresher. Grower participation in the group Q&A as well as submission of vine photographs from each grower is a key focus of the course. PLEASE do not sign up for this course unless you took the course last year.
“Marco’s pruning seminar was hands down my best use of winter “downtime”. As I walk through my 6th leaf block post-harvest, I can see my previous years pruning mistakes. Minimizing those mistakes in younger blocks will definitely help with long-term crop yield and annual labor costs.” – Ned, TX
Live Pruning Immersion Course Tracks
Live
Spur Pruning
Immersion Course
December 7, January 4, & January 11
Noon to 4 pm CST
- The course will be hosted by Fritz with instructor expert Marco Tessari LIVE from Italy.
- The course is limited to 15 members (first come, first serve).
- Participants will receive instructions on how to collect and send pictures of their vines before each session.
- This course normally costs $500 but is being offered exclusively to Virtual Viticulture Academy Members for the discounted price of $449.
- Spouses attend for free; additional vineyard employees can attend for $50.
- Spur Pruning Immersion Course – Syllabus by Date.
This is a Member Only event.
Already a Member?
Click the Login button at the top of the page
Live
Cane Pruning
Immersion Course
December 7, January 5, & January 12
Noon to 4 pm CST
- The course will be hosted by Fritz with instructor expert Marco Tessari LIVE from Italy.
- The course is limited to 15 members (first come, first serve).
- Participants will receive instructions on how to collect and send pictures of their vines before each session.
- This course normally costs $500 but is being offered exclusively to Virtual Viticulture Academy Members for the discounted price of $449.
- Spouses attend for free; additional vineyard employees can attend for $50.
- Cane Pruning Immersion Course – Syllabus by Date.
This is a Member Only event.
Already a Member?
Click the Login button at the top of the page
Live
Pruning Immersion
Refresher Course
December 8, & January 6
Noon to 4 pm CST
- The course will be hosted by Fritz with instructor expert Marco Tessari LIVE from Italy.
- The course is limited to the members that attended last year.
- Participants will receive instructions on how to collect and send pictures of their vines before each session.
- Spouses attend for free; additional vineyard employees can attend for $50.
- Refresher Course – Syllabus by Date.
Please do not sign up for this course unless you attended last year.
This is a Member Only event.
Already a Member?
Click the Login button at the top of the page
Going into the course I felt like I had a pretty good grasp on proper vine pruning. While I wasn’t dead wrong, I learned of many small mistakes we were making that could have costly effects on the annual production and the overall longevity of my vines. I highly recommend the small investment of your time in this course that will pay large dividends. – Rob, TX