Our other tasks over the past couple of weeks include tidying up the vineyard—weeding around the vines, tying up the drip lines, and removing suckers from the vine trunks. This is also an important period in terms of canopy management. Excess shoots need to be thinned out to ensure good sun exposure on the developing fruit and good air flow around the plants. The remaining shoots are trained straight up using guide wires, to promote even plant development.