Term (also leaf pruning, summer pruning) for one of the many foliage care tasks in the vineyard. This measure may be carried out several times during the annual growth cycle. A limited number of leaves are removed from the grape zone. This measure is recommended for short-shoots, densely leafy grape varieties with compact, dense clusters and thin berry skins, such as Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer, Kerner, Müller-Thurgau and Scheurebe. The picture shows defoliation by machine, which is common on larger farms.

Defoliation favours air circulation in the grape zone so that the grapes dry much faster after rain. This protects the ripening fruit from premature botrytis infestation. Defoliation begins two to three weeks after flowering, but not too many leaves should be removed, as the green berries are still at high risk of sunburn until véraison (the start of ripening).
![]()
wein.plus is a handy, efficient guide to a quick overview of the colourful world of wines, winegrowers and grape varieties. In Wine lexicon, the most comprehensive of its kind in the world, you will find around 26,000 keywords on the subject of grape varieties, wineries, wine-growing regions and much more.
Roman Horvath MW
Domäne Wachau (Wachau)