Cane pruning is most common in vineyards in Oregon's Willamette Valley. This has primarily been due to the thought that yields are higher under that pruning system compared to spur pruning. When done correctly, spur pruning can produce similar yields as cane pruning. Cluster size tends to be smaller (~10-20%) in spur pruned vines compared to cane pruned vines. 

Cane pruned vines typically have less shoot thinning passes required during the growing season compared to spur pruned, as adventitious (extra shoots) can grow on the cordon that need to be removed to get rid of extra shoot density. These extra shoots don't usually bear fruit. Other than that, all other management practices are the same in-season for cane and spur pruned vines. 

The biggest challenges growers face with converting from cane to spur is getting a good cordon positioned in place and training themselves (and crews) how to do spur pruning well. Cordons do need to be renewed every so many years as well. There is no loss of production when this happens--basically you do cane pruning in that year to establish a new cordon. I have a video on the OSU Extension Wine Grapes website to show this process. 

If you wish to read the detailed study that I conducted in cane vs. spur, I am happy to send you a copy electronically. Please reach out to me via email to get a copy (<personal data hidden>). 

Thank you so much.  I clicked on the link you had in the email for the study and that gave me enough information to work with.   Thank you for such a prompt and thorough response.

Also, are there any variety specific publications on growing pinot noir?  I did not see anything specific, just general vineyard care.  I am looking for information on disease possibilities and prevention, nutrition needs/preferences, etc...  Are there any publications with that kind of information?

All of our OSU Extension Publications are relevant for Pinot noir, even if it is not specified. All of these can be found on our OSU Extension Wine Grapes Page. Please bookmark this page and use it often. Content is updated quarterly if not more often.

Many of these guides are informed by our local research, and most of our research has been conducted on Pinot noir because it is the most commonly grown cultivar in the state. In reality, the care for Pinot noir compared to other cultivars in the region won’t be much different because they are all the same genus and species (Vitis vinifera). They are different cultivars within, and they are all susceptible to grape powdery mildew and botrytis bunch rot. They all need weed management, disease management, etc. We don’t often have to do insect pest management in vineyards in the region, thankfully. The big difference in Pinot noir care vs. other cultivars is the amount of labor passes used as a request of the fruit buyer. I provide an example below:

Example scenario: In a vineyard with Pinot gris and Pinot noir, a grower may spend more time doing canopy management, such as leaf removal in the cluster zone or lateral shoot removal than in the Pinot gris because the winery they sell to requires it of them, and they get a higher price per acre or per ton for their Pinot noir to compensate for that extra work.  By doing more leaf removal in Pinot noir, the grower can boost wine color, especially in high vigor vineyards where early season leaf removal has proven beneficial for increasing color in Pinot noir. However, the grower may choose to use leaf removal as a cultural means for Botrytis control.

Here are the publications that will be most relevant for you at this stage:

• 2022 Pest Management Guide for Wine Grapes in Oregon
• Vineyard Economics: Establishing and Producing Pinot Noir Wine Grapes in The Willamette Valley, Oregon