Green Management in the Vineyard During Summer: Care, Balance, and Sustainability

Summer is an intense and crucial season for the vine. With long, sunny days, the plant enters its peak vegetative growth phase. It’s a time of energy and development—but also a moment of great vulnerability. It is now that the foundation is laid for the quality of the grapes and, ultimately, the wine.

This is why green management becomes a central practice. It’s not just about pruning or organizing the vine, but about connecting with it—observing it daily, understanding its needs, and acting with precision. At Fattoria di Montemaggio, where every action follows the principles of organic farming, these tasks are carried out manually, with patience and deep respect for the natural balance of the plant and the ecosystem around it.

What is green management?

Green management includes a set of agronomic practices aimed at regulating the vine’s canopy during the summer months. The goal is twofold:

1. To optimize the environment around the grape clusters for better ripening.

2. To maintain the right balance between vegetative growth (leaves, shoots) and production (grape bunches).

The main practices include:

1. Shoot Thinning

This early summer task involves removing non-productive shoots (suckers) that grow from the vine’s base or trunk. These drain energy from the plant and create dense, humid conditions that increase disease risk.
Eliminating them improves air circulation and allows the plant to focus energy on fruit-bearing shoots.

2. Leaf Removal

Leaf removal is the careful stripping of some leaves around the grape clusters—usually on the east-facing side—to improve air flow and sun exposure.
When done well, it:

• Reduces humidity around the fruit.

• Increases ventilation.

• Lowers the risk of fungal diseases like mildew and powdery mildew.

• Enhances the effectiveness of natural treatments (such as horsetail decoctions or sulfur, in our case).

However, it must be done with care—overexposure to sunlight, especially in hotter years, can lead to sunburned grapes.

3. Topping and Tying

The vine grows rapidly in summer, and topping (cutting back the shoot tips) helps contain excessive vegetative growth, redirecting the plant’s energy toward fruit ripening.

Tying involves training the shoots along trellis wires in an organized way. This improves sun exposure, ventilation, and allows for better photosynthesis and ease of work in the vineyard.

These activities require experience and a keen eye. Each vine is unique, and so is each vintage. Our team works vine by vine, row by row—no shortcuts, no machines.

4. Cluster Thinning (Green Harvest)

Sometimes the vine produces too many grape clusters, and we must make a tough choice. Cluster thinning, or green harvesting, means removing the excess fruit while it’s still unripe. This allows the remaining clusters to ripen more evenly and with better aromatic concentration.

It’s a delicate act—removing potential fruit is never easy—but it reflects a commitment to quality over quantity.

Our Philosophy: Less is More

At Fattoria di Montemaggio, every action in the vineyard reflects our broader philosophy: agriculture as harmony. We don’t force nature—we accompany it. We believe that a healthy, biodiverse environment, rich in microbial life, produces more expressive and authentic grapes.

That’s why:

• We don’t use synthetic herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers.

• We protect the soil with natural cover crops and gentle tillage.

• We work manually, even when machines would be faster.

• We embrace the vine’s natural rhythms, even when it means a lower yield.

A Living Vine, A Living Wine

Summer green management is not just a technical process—it’s a quiet ritual that connects people, plants, and place. It’s in these small but essential gestures that the identity of a wine is born.

Every bottle from Montemaggio tells this story: days spent under the sun, hands gently parting the leaves, decisions made with care and conviction. Wine doesn’t begin in the cellar—it begins here, in the vineyard, one day at a time.

Come Experience Summer With Us

If you’d like to witness this special time of year up close, we invite you to visit our estate. Walk through the vineyards, see our team in action, smell the sun-warmed foliage, and enjoy a glass of wine—knowing the love and labor that went into every sip.

At Montemaggio, every season has its voice. In summer, that voice is green, vibrant, and full of life.