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GRAPE GRO WING Manager uses five machines Bill den Hoed of Vigneron Manage- ment LLC in Grandview, Wash., has five machines that include both types—two forced air systems from Nairn, two that Blueline manufactures and a vacuum sys- tem that Blueline markets as Accucut. Den Hoed says each machine is useful during different seasons. Compressed air leaf removers are ideal for heavier thinning early in the season, from berry set until the berries are pea- sized, he explains. But for late-season leaf thinning, the vacuum-style leaf removers provide a precise cut that doesn't damage the ripening berries. Unlike vineyard workers, mechanized pruners never get tired or injured. "I can't use forced air that late in the season, so we've got one Accucut," he says. "It covers 700-plus acres a year, and the wonderful thing about that is you can run it 24 hours a day; where if you have QSEE US AT UNIFIED, BOOTH #1527g "It's not as dramatic or as drastic as the forced-air remover, but it does open it up," he says. "You get the sunlight, you get the warmth, and you also open it up for air flow." Clemens' Vinescout system uses a 3D cam- era system to steer through vineyard rows. a forced air unit, usually you're (running it) in the evening hours, going through the night because you need the leaf mate- rial…really crisp." The second pass to pull leaves is typically intended to boost grape exposure on the side of the row facing the afternoon sun, and to facilitate air circulation so that white grapes are not under undue disease pressure. Accucut is precise enough to remove single lay- ers of leaves, den Hoed said, and it will automatically scale to the width of the vine row. Price differences are an equally im- portant consideration. Marrs launched his own line of leaf removers, including Accucut, because of shifting exchange rates that have been largely unfavorable to U.S. importers. Marrs said that with his own manufacturing, marketing and distribution network, Blueline has been able to come in at a lower price than many imports. His basic system sells for approximately $26,900, while Accucut is just $2,000 more at approximately $28,900. Marrs said that Gregoire began offering its DX-series of leaf removers three years ago, when it bought the manu- facturer. But volatile exchange rates have made it difficult to enter western U.S. markets, Marrs said. Our Northwest correspondent Peter Mith- am is a freelance agriculture writer based in Vancouver, B.C. Look for his weekly dispatch- es at winesandvines.com Headlines. Contact him through edit@winesandvines.com. QSEE US AT UNIFIED, BOOTH #2503 68 Wines & Vines JAnUARY 2011