01 Grape Growing Flashcards
Macroclimate
Climate of an area like a wine region
Mesoclimate
climate of a vineyard
Microclimate
climate around a single vine
Wine growing range (deg)
30 (near equator)
50 (furhter from equator)
Styles of Climate
Continental
Maritime
Mediterranean
Tropical
Desert / Arid
Continental Climate
- Area wihtin a large land mass
- High seasonality: hot summers & cold winters
- High diurnality: big range b/t day and night temps
- Cooler nights enable slow grape ripening, which increases quality of grapes
Maritime Climate
- Proximity to large body of water
- Moderate temperatures: less diurnality & seasonality
- Proximity to water can have more humidity & precipitation
- Can have more vintage variation year-to-year
Mediterranean Climate
- Hot & dry summers, except for those on costal areas
- Warm temps overall
High Desert
- Summers hot and dry
- High diurnality
Climate factors & moderators
- Sunshine hours (# sunshine hours)
- Threats (Frost, Hail, Wind)
- Bodies of Water (can warm or cool regions)
- Rain sahdow effect
- Altitude (temp decreases as elevation increases)
- Diurnal Shifts
Topography feature: Gentle slopes
Can help with drainage
Topography feature: Steep hillsides
- Better drainage of soil
- Less fertile due to erosion
- Lower chance of frost as cool air falls from upper slopes
- Harder to maintain during growing season & to harvest
Topography feature: Valley Floor
- Flat land is ariable via machine
- Soil can be overly fertile
Topography feature: Aspect
Amount of sun based on how the slope is facing
Important properties of soil types
- Water drainage / retention
- Sun reflection
- Nutriet content
- Temperature regulation
- Pest resistance
Soil: Gravel
- Warms up faster & stays warm
- Good for drainage
Soil: Clay
- Cooler
- Retains water
Grapes: Pinot Noir
- Thrive in cool or moderate climates
- Planted in hot climates, will get burned
Grape components: Pulp
- Water
- Sugar (increases as ripen)
- Acids (decrease as ripen - sour is flavor of acid)
- Seeds / pips (give bitter flavors)
Grape components: Skins
- Tannins (bitter, can help wine age)
- Color
- Flavor
Vineyard architecture
- Vine spacing (compete vs. spread out)
- Vine training
- Vineyard orientation
- Aspect - degree & direction of vineyard slope
- Terracing
Vineyard mangement
- Canopy management (shade or expose leaves to determine air flow)
- Green harvest
- Irrigation
- Managing pests & disease (fertilizers, pruning, anti-fungal treatments)
Implications of cool climate
- Grapes ripen slowly & moderately
- Less sugar produced
- Acidity remains high
- Less alcohol potential
- Flavors are more tart & lean, less ripe & juicy
- Wine feels linear on palate
Implications of warm climate
- Grapes ripen fully
- More sugar is produced
- Acidity is lower
- Higher alcohol potential
- Flavors are mroe ripe, lush & juicy
- Wine feels lush and round on the palate
Green Harvest
- Crop thinning method
- Cut unripe grape bunches off before vine harvest to decrease yeilds
- Allow vine to focus on fewer, higher quality bunches
Phylloxera
- Vine louse
- Destroyed 1/3 of vines in late 1800s
Considerations in grape ripeness
- Sugar ripeness
- Physiological ripeness (inc. seed / stem ripeness)
- Tannin ripeness
Considerations in Harvest
- Time of picking
- # of vineyard passes
- Method of harvest
Rain Shadow
- Dry area on one sid eof a mountain opposite the wind, rain, and poor weather
- Examples: Alsace, Rioja, Washington State
Benefits of wind on vineyard
- Dries to prevent disease
- Can warm vineyard
- Can cool vineyard
