Winter Care of Sweet Pea Vine

I have a really nice Sweet Pea Vine - it has climbed to the top of the chain-link fence and has many pink & white flowers. How should I take care of it for the winter? Should the vine be taken off the fence?

Perennial sweet peas, yes there are annual varieties, are hardy in zones 4 to 8 and need little help to make it through the winter in these areas.  Leave healthy plants stand for winter to increase hardiness.  Prune the plants back to the ground in late winter or early spring before growth begins.  Prune sweet pea plants with diseased foliage back to the ground in fall.  Discard, don't compost, the leaves and stems of diseased plants to reduce the risk of future disease problems.

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