The very old vine training exists under various names such as Albarello, Basket Training, Bäumchen, Bockerziehung, Busch, Bush Vines, En vaso, Goblet and Vase. It was already used in ancient times by the Greeks and adopted by the Romans. It is a special form of head training. The vines are trained in the classical form without any support (wires, frames or similar) or tied up to single stakes so that a cup-like shape is created (gobelet = cup or goblet) or also crawling on the ground.
Vines
Typical are the relatively short vines with a large, spherical head only about 20 to 40 cm above the ground, depending on their age. There are two to five cordons (thighs) distributed around the head, each with a fruit cone with two to three eyes on it. Cordons that have become too long are rejuvenated when the vines are pruned. The vines are supported by a short stake or the summer shoots are tied together to support them. In particularly dry areas of France or Italy, the shoots are allowed to spread unhindered in all directions to shade the soil. The green shoots of cones that have been cut short are trellised more often during the vegetation cycle so that they do not become too long.
Application
The Gobelet system is particularly suitable for weak-growing vines in dry or hot, low-rainfall climates. The system is still in use today, especially in the Mediterranean region. It is used in Egypt, France (one third of all vineyards), Italy, Lebanon, Spain, Turkey, Syria and Cyprus (picture above) as well as partly overseas in Australia and South Africa. See lists at vine training (systems) and vineyard management (activities).
Gobelet scheme: By Bauer Karl - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Egypt: By Andrew Teubes, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link
Cyprus: Zambartas Winery - Limassol
