"Sheeps Being Trained To Mow Vineyards"

Read all about the "mutton mowers". At least the sheeps (who edits this stuff?) show a preference for Chardonnay.
'Winger

[David M. Bueker]

I thought sheep were trained to buy pointy wines. Gosh, RP can get them to do anything!

I visited a organic winery in 2004 and they told me they'd tried using sheep to graze the green cover they'd planted between rows "but that's nonsense, as their woolly coats snag on vine spurs, rubbing off lanoline which inhibits vine growth."

Hmmm. Either very low-growing vines or extraordinarily tall sheep, Peter.

We use sheep constantly in our vineyards and have no problem whatsoever.

I suppose a low trellising system might do that---but for the life of me I can't figure out why someone should want their grapes so close to the ground.

Hard to tell without some type of reference but those grapes look low pretty close to the ground to me. That is suppose to be La Tache.

Thanks Bill for posting this interesting article. Just finished reading Louisa Thomas Hargrave’s book “The Vineyard, The Pleasures and Perils of Creating an American Family Winery” and here’s what she had to say about sheep- “They were multipurpose; they would make the perfect accompaniment for our Pinot Noir- lamb”.

Salute