Winter Vineyard Photo

Photographer’s Note

Great wine starts out in the vineyard. Whatever a given year's weather conditions, understanding the vines and their interaction with the weather determines the quality of the fruit we harvest, and consequently the quality of the wine.

The first buds appear in the second half of March: bud break marks the arrival of Spring and the start of the vine's growth cycle. This is not really the start of the new vintage since the vineyard workers already prepared each individual vine during pruning in winter, choosing which canes and buds to retain.

Pruning takes place in winter, when the vines are in their dormant stage. This operation helps regenerate the vine by limiting growth, while selecting buds that will bear next year's crop. This work is primarily done by men, and lasts all winter. The women vineyard workers burn the small vine cuttings, tie up the rest, and make sure the vines are well-attached to their stakes with wicker.

For wine tasters this is a Brindisi Rosso Vineyard. It is a red DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) wine from the Southern Italian province of Brindisi, in the region of Apulia.

The official appellation was granted on November 22, 1979 with presidential decree (published in Gazzetta Ufficiale, April 23, 1980), under request of famous local producers.

In recent years the production of this variety of wine has declined considerably (up to 50%), due to the uprooting of vines as a result of incentives from the EU, which favored other products. Nowadays Brindisi Rosso is produced in small quantities and exported all over the world.

Brindisi Rosso wine appears intense ruby red, with light orange tones when aged; the taste is intense, dry, harmonious, with a lightly bitter aftertaste, velvety and appropriately tannic.

Minimum alcohol percentage by volume to qualify for the appellation is 12%. The best vintages, however, contain between 13 and 14% ABV. The best recent vintages are 2000 and 2003.

Make: SONY
Model: DSC-T100
Software: Adobe Photoshop CS2 Windows
Exposure Time: 10/1600 sec
F-Stop: f/3.5
ISO Speed Ratings: 100
Focal Length: 580/100 mm
Date Taken: 2008-02-16 15:46
Metering Mode: Pattern
Flash: Flash fired, compulsory flash mode, return light not detected
File Size: 78,1 kb

isabela_sor, chiaretta, snunney, dip, saxo042, ARGI, jorgi, danos, syd1946, papagolf21, stelli, amaryllis, Budapestman, miumiu, feather, azaf1, COSTANTINO, Tue, Cretense, CRATEOS, greek has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

chiaretta (1943) 2008-02-24 2:12

Ciao Stella,
un cielo davvero incredibile! I raggi filtranti sull sfondo sono perfetti!!!
Veramente un afoto d'impatto ed estremamente affascinante!
Buona domenica,
Chiara

isabela_sor (42719) 2008-02-24 2:13 [Comment]

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snunney (35780) 2008-02-24 2:25

Hello Stella,
A beautiful composition of these clouds with the sun streaming through. Tones and clarity are superb. I hope it turns out to be a good vintage ;-)

maystroo (298) 2008-02-24 5:05

great pov,nice lightfall

dip (12990) 2008-02-24 8:11

Ciao Stella,
nice image with good perspective and amazing light,
well done!
Greetings,
Dimitris.

mursaloglu (5276) 2008-02-24 8:41

Salve Stella
Il cielo con queste cascate delle nuovole sembra cosi drammatico che le luci solari verso il campo creano un effetto molto ammirevole e fantastico. Tutto sommato una foto molto commovente... Complimenti. ihsan

ifanik (20670) 2008-02-24 9:58

Very nice landscape photo with wonderful sky and dramatic colours
Very nice work
Best regards
Nick

saxo042 (16522) 2008-02-24 10:06

Hi Stella,
Again these dark and sinister clouds! An impressive photo with very good colours. Those sunbeams are excellent.
Greetings from Gothenburg
Gunnar

ahaberal (6455) 2008-02-24 10:07

Hi stella
beautiful image and colors.Wonderful composition.Well done.TFS.
asim

ARGI (3418) 2008-02-24 10:53

FANTASTIC Meletemaki !
I don't speak only about colors,frame, POV etc
I'm speaking for the total impression of the image is AMAZING WONDERFUL.
Sky is great and your note too.
I think that weather is in a secret agreement with you to give beautifull moments to shoot !
O filos sou
Argyris

jorgi (3804) 2008-02-24 11:17

Hi Stella,

you must be very lucky person to witness such an amazing sky scenery. It appears like clouds opened to let this divine light to illuminate vineyards. This must be a great sign for this years "wine harvest". :) Very dramatic, very moody and overwhelming scenery. Most beautiful display of natures beauty.

Kind regards,
Jeri

TopGeo (22457) 2008-02-24 11:28

Ciao Stella! Approach the did sky the ground it helps the vine to produce good wine? thus show your picture and the luminous beam above in the fields! They are pictures that I see in the countryside when almost each day I visit and a lot love because each picture has also her particularity! I greet you!
Filika
Georgios

giorgimer (21616) 2008-02-24 12:00

Ciao Stella,

un cielo davvero impressionante, come spesso nelle tue belle immagini. Ci sono molte cose da ammirare:
- la plasticità delle nuvole che sembrano quasi solide
- i bellissimi fasci di luce sullo sfondo
- la bella prospettiva delle vigne

Bravissima!

Gio

syd1946 (17995) 2008-02-24 22:53

Hello Stella,
Once more you give us composition with a truly dramatic sky...so strong in dark clouds,give us the feeling that the sky will eat the vineyard!Excellent light handle in a beautiful composition!

Have a nice week,
Thomas

jimmj63 (801) 2008-02-24 23:49

mamma mia che cielo dalle tue parti! contrasto incredibile.
ciao, giacomo

danos (33624) 2008-02-25 0:36

Ciao Stella,
nice shot under this difficult lighting conditions.The heavy dark sky over the vineyards make the scene so dramatic.The beams of the light that seems to come out from the grey clouds in the middle of the capture are welcome.Informative your note too.

have a nice week,danos

Nicou (46149) 2008-02-25 0:42

hello,

quel ciel, sombre lourd, plombl, il est amngigique avec la lumière en fond, ces rayonnement, ce dégradé des couleurs avec l'effet est slpendide.

Bravo et amitiés

Nicou

papagolf21 (56977) 2008-02-25 1:26

Bonjour, mon amie Stella,
Vous êtes béni des Dieux pour obtenir de telles photographies. Vous devez faire des incantations pour que la formation des nuages prennent une telle beauté ! ;o)
Je suis sous le charme et apprécie comme il se doit cette très belle réalisation.
Amitiés.
Philippe

Olympos (855) 2008-02-25 1:35

Good morning Stella,

Your handling of the lighting conditions is incredible!
I like very much your photo, especially the effects of the heavy clouded winter sky. Congratulations Stella.

Friendly
Michael

Vames (4356) 2008-02-25 5:24

ciao Stella ,molto bella foto con duro cielo e il sole faccio giuca !bellisima foto !

Silvio1953 (43316) 2008-02-25 5:45

Ciao Stella, stai mostrando cieli con una luce fantastica, bellissimi i raggi che piovono dal nuvolone nero ad illuminare il bellissimo vigneto, brava, ciao Silvio
PS che vitigno è?
Sono un estimatore dei vini pugliesi, in particolare del magnifico primitivo:)

evanrizo (456) 2008-02-25 6:01

Ciao Stella,
what an image! The strong dramatical atmosphere here gives me nice strong feelings of wonder and admiration of the nature marves.
You give it here superb.
Have a nice afternoon.
Evangelos

stelli (2985) 2008-02-25 12:11

A lot of "divine" looking pictures on TE these days!!! :) Wonderful capture with dramatic colors and framing! Thank you for sharing! Regards Stella

toto (18775) 2008-02-26 0:32

Belle photo de cette magnifique vue sur ces nuages qui troués laissent passer de superbes rayons colorés au centre et comme un photographe, il laisse passer son flash a l' arrière por éclairer la scène.
Vraiment une belle prise comme je les aimes.

Amitiés Thomas
Je reviens

John_F_Kennedy (32238) 2008-02-26 2:06

Dramatic sky. Very nice details. Excellent lighting. Wonderful shot.
Best wishes,
Achim

amaryllis (17962) 2008-02-26 3:27

bonjour
superbe photo de ces vignes sous un ciel plus que nuageux, lourd mais magnifique avec ces rayons au loin
une bonne profondeur de l'image, une belle composition
juliette

Tobias__Ortmann (2591) 2008-02-26 6:13

Hi stella
great shot very good lights an dpov
the composition is also very good
maybe the part on the right is a bit too dark but thats not a big problem
very good
TOba

lraew (42) 2008-02-26 11:38

Hello Stella,

Your informative note strongly enhances the wonderful symmetric perspective of the vineyard. The depth-of-field is ideal for this scenery. The colors and tones in the sky are truly vivid.

Regards,
Lisa

Budapestman (43200) 2008-02-26 12:04

Hi Stella,
Great impression with fantastic sky, its so than a fabled vision. Colours and lights are picturesque, atmosphere is great. Very well done! Have a nice evening
George

miumiu (3866) 2008-02-26 12:56

Hello Stella!
Simple magical!!!!
Sky is very impressive and sunbeams are wonderful!
Very special photo!
Greetings
Agnes

feather (50460) 2008-02-27 6:50

What a truly amazing sky; so dramatic. I love the sunbeams of light. I'm just wondering how it would look with the foreground brightened just a bit. I had to draw the curtains to appreciate the image fully. Nevertheless an almost Biblical image. Well done
Kath

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azaf1 (15615) 2008-02-28 0:54

Hi Stella
Spectacular!
Amazing sky, heavy and threatening with this line of beautiful light that escapes
Well done!
Argiris

COSTANTINO (23425) 2008-03-02 1:40

Ciao STELLA,
un ciello fantastico,
con le nuvole molto impressionante,e con i raggi del sole che passano sulle vinge danno un ottimo risultoto,
CARI SALUTI,
Costantino

ahmetgedikli (22235) 2008-03-03 2:22

Ciao Stella,
Superb scenery! Beautiful colours, contrast and excellent lighting. I like it.
Have a nice week,

Ahmet

Tue (25608) 2008-03-04 10:29

Hi Stella,
Excellent photo and an impressive sky with those threatening clouds. Good view over the dark vineyard too and I like the lighter and warmer strip in the middle very much too with these beautiful rays of sunlight. Thanks for sharing!
Regards,
Lars

Cretense (57430) 2008-03-06 2:32

Hi Stella!

Very "daring" but absolutely lovely, dark light managmetn that creates a "haunting" and impressive atmosphere! Excellent framing and composition! Congratualtions!

Ciao, Hercules

batalay (21366) 2008-03-06 16:02

Hello Stella,

I must be seeing things! I was almost certain I wrote a critique of this excellent image, along with the note that accompanies it. I've had Brindisi Rosso, but had never thought of it being from a vineyard in your back yard. It is evocative of another image, "Amazing Sky," shot the same day. (Perhaps, I just pointed them out to my friend and former student Lisa Wright.) In any event, this is one of the most dramatic skies on Trekearth. I see that you too are very busy these days, unable to make more time for this addictive hobby. I hope that everybody around you is in good health, and especially you.

Bulent

tpstrek (1881) 2008-03-13 19:12

Hello Stella,
Fascinating capture with beautiful sunrays and an impressive sky; there's a lot of 'stormy' threat in the clouds.
Well done!!!
Regards,
Henri

Greg1949 (8535) 2008-03-22 3:15

Stella, the sun streaks are awesome and the detail in the clouds is great. The fg might be a bit dark but then too than may add mystery. Fine capture.

Greg

CRATEOS (7274) 2008-03-23 9:09

all the poetry and the felling of the art came here to meet your foto amica...!!!

nf

greek (7522) 2008-03-25 9:09

simply wonderful foto, like apocalypse great inspiration, the colours and the atmosphere are perfect and in perfect harmony, galantis