pruning of vines involves cutting off unwanted vegetative parts in the form of canes in winter. For details of cutting off unwanted vegetative growth in the form of excess shoots in early spring and shoot tips in summer, see shoot thinning and trimming respectively. Summer pruning is a misleading term for trimming.

Winter pruning is a vineyard practice developed primarily to produce fewer but larger bunches of riper grapes and is particularly important in cooler climates. More than 85% of each year’s shoot growth may be removed. There is an important relationship between vine pruning and vine training, as the pruning method used depends on the training system employed.