Old Vines & Dead Arms

The vine pictured to the right is a 40 year old (as of 2009) Malbec vine planted in the Lujan de Cuyo district of Mendoza, Argentina.

It is possible to see the growth of the vine on the right and the small, compact bunches on this side of the vine. But the lack of growth with almost no fruit on the left-hand side is quite apparent. This is caused by several factors: one is vine age, second is climate (during the season of this photo it had been quite hot and dry), and disease (usually one or two fungal diseases). All three can contribute at the same time and their affect can be amplified as the vine gets more stressed and its natural defenses are reduced.

This image shows the typical netting used in Mendoza to protect the vines (at least at the grape zone) from hail damage.