Protecting the Grapes at Greenvale

Each fall, the vineyard nets its vines to protect from predators.

As warm breezes give way to crisp nights, vineyard grapes begin to ripen and develop sugar. Fans of wine from Greenvale Vineyards aren’t the only ones who like its varietals; birds, deer, raccoons and other predators are attracted to the sweetness of the fruit. So each fall, the vineyard manager and his staff protect the grapes on Greenvale’s twenty-four acres along the Sakonnet River by netting the vines, says Maggie Harnett, the tasting room manager. Focusing on the areas birds have damaged in previous years, they attach the netting to a post at one end of a row, then roll it across the grapes to the other end and secure it. It’s effective in keeping the pillagers away. When it’s time to harvest the grapes, the staff lifts the netting the day before, and once the harvesting is finished, returns to
remove the netting completely