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Marco Simonit gives master pruning ‘lesson’ at Harvard

by Catherine Walbridge
Marco Simonit at Harvard University

Few people have observed and cared for as many diverse vineyards around the globe as master pruner Marco Simonit. Now, the pioneer of the Simonit&Sirch gentle pruning method, which is used by wineries from Barossa to Bordeaux, has had his expertise recognised by Harvard University.  

The co-founder of Simonit&Sirch was a keynote speaker at the recent ‘Vine to Mind: Decanting Wine's Future with Data Science & AI’ symposium that brought together luminaries, academics and top executives from the world of wine and scientific research at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts. 

 

Organised in collaboration with the Journal of Wine Economics to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Harvard Data Science Review (HDSR), the purpose of the event was twofold: to shed light on the marriage between timeless winemaking traditions and the dynamism of contemporary data science and AI technologies, and to distil the future of viticulture with data-driven insight, innovation and collaboration. 

Climate and grapes 

The other speakers included Argentine vintner and physician Laura Catena, the Managing Director of Bodega Catena Zapata and Founder of the Catena Institute of Wine, Saskia de Rothschild, the CEO and General Manager of Château Lafite Rothschild and Michael Silacci, winemaker at Opus One, Jeffrey Meisel, the Vice President and General Manager of Constellation Brands and Orley Ashenfelter, the President of the American Association of Wine Economists

Marco Simonit was the keynote speaker of the afternoon session dedicated to the topic of ‘Climate and Grapes’, which addressed the question of how in a world where climate change is constantly redrawing the boundaries, data science can guide the evolution of viticulture. Simonit’s speech focused on the design of vineyards in the face of climate change, which attracted considerable interest.  

He explained how climate change has become a major issue in recent years, the effects of which can now be seen and experienced every day. “The effects of climate change such as rising average temperatures and extreme events such as droughts, heat waves and severe storms are affecting the world's major wine-growing districts with increasing frequency.” 

Marco Simonit and his international team of master pruners at Simonit&Sirch are ideally placed to observe the impact of the changing climate on vineyards around the world. They have worked with more than 160 wineries across 15 countries: Italy, Austria, Germany, France, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, the UK, Hungary, USA, Argentina, Chile, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. 

Shifting north – and up 

“In order to escape these problems, new winegrowing areas are needed,” Simonit observes. “So we have focused on two points that we consider essential."

© Marco di Donato

"Firstly, for the Northern Hemisphere, a shift northwards in vine cultivation with the search for new wine-growing districts in cooler areas. And then what we could call ‘high-altitude viticulture’, or the planting of vineyards at higher altitudes.” 

Marco Simonit, Simonit&Sirch

“In this context,” he concludes, “it is useful to foster the resilience of plants to climatic variables: on the one hand, by preserving the efficiency of the water conduction system in the plants and improving the reserves in the living wood, and on the other hand, by managing shoots and clusters in a manner that guarantees plant vigour.”  

 

The Simonit&Sirch pruning method is based on four fundamental principles, namely progressively accumulating “living wood” on the vine, respecting the plant’s vascular flow, reducing the size of pruning cuts and respecting the crowns (at the base of every cane), and leaving a certain amount of protective wood on the vine. 

Marco Simonit pruning a vineyard

Adapting to the vine 

It is these principles that guide the Simonit&Sirch pruning method which has now been adopted by some of the world’s most renowned wineries from Angelus, Pichon-Longueville, Lynch-Bages and Yquem in Bordeaux, Leflaive in Burgundy, Louis Roederer in Champagne, Symington in Portugal, Biondi-Santi, Ferrari and Alois Lageder in Italy and Corison and Quintessa in Napa Valley. 

Regardless of where vineyards are located, Simonit believes planting density needs to be reconsidered to reduce the use of water/resources and to have sufficient space for the development of the plant’s architecture. “Dynamic architectures must be designed, which can be developed and modified according to the life cycle of the plant: they will be the backbone of the shoots and bunches and will become a key point for adapting the plants to their terroir,” he says. 

Marco Simonit has long believed in sharing his expertise – not only with the vineyard teams that he and his team work alongside but also with the next generation. He opened the Simonit&Sirch Academy for vine master pruners in 2021, the world's first digital platform entirely dedicated to vine pruning training, and also has collaborations with 10 wine research institutes and universities.  

“Together with people from vineyards all over the world, we can help vines at any latitude to become stronger, more sustainable, to live longer and be able to adapt better to climate change,” Marco Simonit explains about the rationale behind the academy. 

About Simonit&Sirch

Great wine starts with great pruning. And Simonit&Sirch is the firm that top wineries have on their speed-dial to ensure the health and longevity of their grapevines. Co-founder Marco Simonit discovered the technique now known as "gentle pruning" as a young viticultural agronomist 30 years ago. Now his business of master pruners has more than 150 winemaking clients around the world and its own pruning academy in Friuli, Italy.

Simonit&Sirch
Via Papa Giovanni XXIII, 62
33040 Corno di Rosazzo – Udine
Italy

Simonit&Sirch

Catherine Walbridge
Catherine Walbridge
Head of International

Catherine Walbridge joined Wine+Partners in December 2022 as the agency looked to expand its international reach and English-language expertise. The London-born journalist and editor grew up in New Zealand and has worked in international media for more than 20 years. She is a former Reuters correspondent, South China Morning Post Deputy International Editor in Hong Kong and New Zealand radio program editor. Her interest in wine and food became part of her professional life when she moved to Vienna and worked at Falstaff magazine for a year.