Napa man cuts a clean path to win pruning competition

By CARLOS VILLATORO
Register Staff Writer

Two days ago Jesus Juarez was content pruning grapevines for Moulds Family Vineyards in Napa.

But then a cousin told him about the 7th Annual Napa Valley Grapegrowers Pruning Competition, held at Beringer Blass Wine Estate’s Gamble Ranch in Yountville Thursday morning, and Juarez’s competitive juices start flowing.

The 25-year-old native of Guanajuato, Mexico, went for it and cleaved and pulled his way to the top of the competition, beating 51 of the best pruners in the valley.

“I didn’t expect to win, it’s a surprise,” Juarez said after receiving the trophy — a belt buckle proving he’s the champion — along with a $600 check, a set of shears and a saw.

Juarez, who wore a look of shock and joy after being announced the champion, said he will use the money to pay his rent.

The Napa Valley Grapegrowers launched the competition in an effort to recognize the skills of the valley’s vineyard workers.

“Pruning is a real critical step in wine vineyard production,” said Mary Maher, event coordinator. “It’s an art and a talent. We just kind of want to showcase that and highlight it.”

Juarez said he’s been refining his pruning technique at Mould Family Vineyards and other Napa wineries for the past seven years.

“Pruning is easy, but demanding,” he said.

Contestants began the competition with 100 points and six vines to prune. Judges deducted points for each mistake, such as leaving split or jagged pruning surfaces, unpicked clusters or cutting spurs too long or short.

Judges then compiled a list of eight finalists based on a system that emphasized quality of the cuts over the amount of time that the contestants took. Technique accounted for 70 percent of the score.

After the first round of the competition, a final prune-off pitted finalists against each other for six additional vines.

In the past, Napa’s top pruner went on to compete in the state competition, but this year no such competition will take place, according to Jennifer Kopp, executive director of Napa Valley Grapegrowers. She said that Sonoma County stopped sponsoring the event and no one else stepped up.

In 2006, Salvador Rios won in Napa and went to a state competition in Santa Rosa. He took second place at the state level and said that winning in Napa and coming close in Santa Rosa has aided his career as a vineyard worker at Usibelli Vineyards.

Rios shared his expertise with fellow worker Juan Gallegos, who came in third place Thursday.

When asked why pruning was a necessary skill, Gallegos said, “So that the vine yields more fruit.”

Arnulfo Solorio, of Silverado Farming Company who served as a judge for the event, said the quality of pruning directly affects the quality of the grapes.

“Pruning is balancing the amount of wood on the vine,” Solorio said. “You sort of damage the vine if you leave too much wood, the vine is stressed.”

Improperly pruned vines are subject to poor growth, infection and an abundance of shoots growing on the vine said Maher, who is also the vineyard manager at Harlan Estate Winery in Oakville.

“It’s sort of setting up a good framework,” she said.

After all the cleaving, pulling and judging was done, competitors ate tacos, sipped on sodas and talked about how they did during the event. Pruning in the valley begins in January and normally ends around April.

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