California: Viticulture

Viticulture in the years following Repeal of Prohibition, California viticultural practices were relatively uniform: head-trained, spur pruned vines spaced about 8 ft apart in rows about 10 ft/3 m apart. Dry farming was the rule in the North Coast, while flood irrigation was the universal practice in the San Joaquin Valley.

During the 1960s, vine training began to move on to wires, with cane pruning for lighter-bearing vine varieties and cordon for heavier yielders. Overhead sprinkler systems for irrigation became more common, especially in the emerging Central Coast. AXR1 became the rootstock of choice because of its vigour and near universal adaptability, and heavy, dense canopies were the norm. Vine spacing remained at or near 8×10, or between 400 and 600 vines per acre (1,000 to 1,500 vines per ha).