10.4 Viticulture Scenarios: Central Valley, California

Question 1

What types of wines are made here?

Answer 1

• inexpensive, high-volume wines

Question 2

What is the key concern of the grape grower?

Answer 2

• maximise the yield of grapes
• keeping costs low
• maximise profit.

Question 3

What is the climate?

Answer 3

• inland California

- warm, dry, sunny growing season

Question 4

What is the water situation?

Answer 4

• rainfall is a limiting factor

- irrigation is permitted

Question 5

What is the soil situation?

Answer 5

• levels of nutrients will vary

- fertilisers can be added if nutrients are limited.

Question 6

What is the vigour of the vines?

Answer 6

• vines can grow large

- can ripen large crops of fruit

Question 7

Are the vineyards planted at high or low density?

Answer 7

low density planting (1200–1800 vines per hectare)

Question 8

Are the yields high or low?

Answer 8

High (180-200 hl/ha)

Question 9

How are the grape varieties chosen?

Answer 9

• market demand

- price (e.g. per kilo) that the grape variety can command

Question 10

How are vines trained? Why?

Answer 10

California sprawl (trellising) (cheap)

• vines trained relatively high
• single wire is installed above the cordon
• shoots flop up and over the wire
• hanging shoots also help shade the fruit from intense afternoon sunshine, reducing risk of sunburn

Question 11

How are the vines trained/pruned? Why?

Answer 11

spur-pruned and cordon-trained

- replacement cane pruning requires more-skilled labour

Question 12

What summer pruning techqiues are used?

Answer 12

generally none

• require labor
• green harvesting would reduce yields

Question 13

Are the grapes usually hand or machine-harvested? When?

Answer 13

machine
- most cost-effective for large vineyards

• early to reduce risk of rot (may sacrifice ripeness)
• at night so that the grapes are cool during transpiration (doesn’t always happen)