Cordon Pruning

Frederic Theodore Bioletti (1865 – 1939) was an English-born American vintner. He studied at the University of California, Berkeley from 1889 to 1900, where he worked with prominent soil scientist Professor E.W. Hilgard. His work with Hilgard on the fermentation of wines under different conditions were significant in helping California vintners to refine their wine production practices and improving the resulting wines. Bioletti was the first chair of the Department of Viticulture and Enology and founded the grape breeding program at the University of California Agricultural Experiment Station. In this volume, Bioletti outlines different methods of cordon pruning, which refers to a method of vine pruning whereby the arms are scattered along the trunk of the tree so that the row of vines resembles a stretched rope or "cordon". Contents include: “Uses”, “Disadvantages”, “Establishment”, “Direction of the Cordons”, “The First Year”, “The Second Year”, “Winter Pruning”, “Trellising”, “Disbudding and Tying”, etc. This volume will appeal to those with an interest in winemaking, especially the subject of pruning and other methods of vine training. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author and introduction on winemaking.