What farm equipment do I need for a wine farm?

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What farm equipment do I need for a wine farm?

If you are interested in starting a wine farm, you will need to take several things into consideration. And one of the most important things to consider carefully is what equipment you will need to start and maintain your wine farm.

The answer to the question of what farm equipment do I need for a wine farm is answered below, with a simple but comprehensive list of the most important and basic needs for any wine farm.

The basic equipment needs explained

A rock picker

Before you begin planting, you will need to clear your field of debris or rocks, which can be a highly tiresome and time consuming task if done by hand. To successfully and quickly remove rocks from the field, you will need a rock picker. Many rock pickers have spring loaded tine bars, in order absorb the shock of a large stone or rock. You should ensure that your rock picker is one of these, as it can be damages easily if it does not have this spring loaded feature.

An orchard or vineyard spreader

A spreader is used to spread material across your orchard and vineyard, or to distribute it evenly and accurately underneath low foliage, where it is most needed. Ensure that the spreader you purchase has been specifically designed for a wine farm or vineyard, meaning that it is smaller and more compact. This allows the spreader to navigate through the tight spaces between the vines without damaging the plants.

Planting and trellis installation

It is important to remember that the trellis should be installed in the same year as your vines, because it is highly difficult to implement weed control and canopy training later in the season. If your budget allows for it, you could use laser planting for a more accurate placing. However, if you are planting by hand, you will need the following basic equipment:

  • Hammer, wrenches, screwdrivers and so on
  • Shovels, post-hole diggers, tampers, picks, water troughs and buckets
  • Nicopress or gripple tool, come-along, wire cutters and fence hammer
  • Small generator, handheld auger, post rounder, tractor

You will also need grow tubes to protect vines from weed sprays during the first season.


Pruning is important as it is the first means of controlling the crop size of your vineyard. Pruning requires a small amount of equipment, which is usually not large and is mostly handheld.

You will need the following for successful pruning:

  • Pruners, loppers, folding saws
  • Hand held scale


Harvest time is one of the busiest times of the year, and it is vital to ensure that you have the right equipment at the ready in order to be prepared ahead of time. For harvesting your vineyard, you will need the following equipment:

  • Fruit picking shears or knives
  • Boxes or buckets for grapes
  • Grape bins

It is preferable to perform grape harvest by hand, rather than by using a machine, as doing it by hand allows you to accurately select the best grapes for the best wine and you will do less damage to both the grapes and the vines.

Spraying equipment

Spraying equipment is important for any farm, even a wine farm. It allows you to distribute any water or pesticide accurately and safely, while maintaining the vines themselves. You should use a sprayer that incorporates technology such as adjustable dispensing dusters and anti-drift inter-row weeding bars. Low-volume sprayers are popular among established wine farmers as they are easy to maintain and are reliable and solid.

Vibrating plate trailer

Once the grapes have been harvested, they will need to be transported to the cellar for the winemaking process, which is where a vibrating plate trailer comes in. By using a vibrating trailer that has a draining grid, grapes can be transported from the field to the cellar without grinding where they are then evenly and continuously distributed by vibration into a reception hopper.

Leaf removers and trimmers

It is important to keep the leaves of the vines neat and avoid unruliness, as this can cause issues during harvest time and during the growing period of the grapes. Leaf removers are equipped with rotating rollers to grip and pull the leaves off the branches with little damaged caused to the rest of the plant. Trimmer cutter beams can be equipped with between one and seven knives, and because the cutter beam is mounted low, it will reduce damage to the entirety of the vine plant.


Starting or maintaining a wine farm starts with careful preparation in order to answer the question of what farm equipment you will need. If you go into the venture with a clear plan in mind, you will hit less obstacles and will have a highly successful and rewarding first year and harvest.


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