🌿 Pergola

A pergola is a high trellis roof on which the vine grows. The posts and crossbars stand above head height, and the shoots grow up and sideways, forming a roof of leaves. The bunches hang down in the shade.

The pergola comes from warm and mountain areas. It is common in the southern Alps, for example in Trentino-Alto Adige in Italy, and in Portugal, Georgia and other countries. Under the roof there is free space to walk, and sometimes vegetables and herbs are grown there.

The shape has advantages. The leaves shade the bunches, so the berries scorch less in hot sun. Air flows well through the canopy, and disease spreads more slowly. There are drawbacks too: work overhead is harder, and the crop can be large, so quality has to be controlled.

A pergola is one kind of trellis, a support for the vine. It is often used in high-altitude vineyards because it lifts the vine above the cold near the ground and helps catch the sun. The word “pergola” itself is Italian.