1.2.2 - Vineyard Establishment

Question 1

Identify the key items to consider at vineyard establishment

Answer 1

Site selection
Soil preparation
Planting materials
Nutrient management
Water management
Canopy management

Question 2

Identify the influences on site selection

Answer 2

style, quality and price of wine to created

Question 3

Identify the type of site that high volume, inexpensive or mid-price wines might need

Answer 3

High yields of healthy grapes produced consistently and relatively cheaply = flat, fertile site in warm, dry climate with option of irrigation

fertile soils and plentiful warmth with option of irrigation = high yields of grapes ripened adequately

dry climate = reduce incidence of fungal disease, which saves money on fungicide spraying and grape sorting in the winery

flat land = mechanization, which can be quicker and cheaper, esp for large vineyards

Question 4

Identify one region with appropriate site to produce high volume, inexpensive to mid-priced wines

Answer 4

Central Valley of Chile

Question 5

Identify the appropriate site for premium or super premium wines

Answer 5

Obtain healthy grapes at optimum composition (levels of sugar, acidity, color, tannins, and aroma compounds) for style being made

Cool climates - sites that maximize the potential to ripe the grapes, e.g., sites with aspects that receive most sunshine through the day, e.g. Rheingau, Germany

Warm climates - sites that cool because of high altitude (lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza) or exposed to cooling sea breezes (Casablanca, Chile), to bring better balance to wine

Question 6

Identify the cost implications in the location, layout and topography of site selection

Answer 6

Natural factors - if sits in frost pocket, may produce less reliable yields and thus a lower ROI or may require more expensive frost protection strategies; sites known to be more susceptible to certain pests and diseases post similar problem

Steep slopes unsuitable for mechanization so expensive labor, slow-paced and hard to obtain

If irrigation required, then source of irrigation water and cost

Ease of access to site and distance from winery to ensure healthy grapes can be delivered to the winery with limited risk of oxidation and microbial spoilage

Proximity of vineyard and winery to towns and cities for labor, suppliers, cellar door customers, retail or distribution businesses

PDO rules that stipulate varieties, max yields, and viticultural and winemaking practices – need to be acceptable w/r/t ROI desired

Question 7

Identify what is needed for a vineyard to survive

Answer 7

ROI from selling grapes, must, or wine, so if site is going to be expensive to buy, establish, and manage, then must be confident that quality and/or type of grapes, must, or wine being produced on the site will sell for a price that will bring a ROI

Question 8

Define ‘terroir’

Answer 8

Overarching concept that claims that the distinctiveness of quality wines is due to their sense of place; however, a precise and agreed upon definition does not exist

Question 9

Identify the components normally associated with terroir

Answer 9

Sense of place / Physical definition - characteristics that relate to place where grown such as climate, soil, aspect, elevation, etc.

Human interventions / Cultural definition - Example: French PDOs with Rules stipulating planting density, type of trellising, etc.

Marketing - claim directly influenced by geological makeup of the soils, e.g., perceived chalkiness of Chardonnay attributed to chalk in soil, but science does not support.

Question 10

Identify how new world winemakers address terroir

Answer 10

Commentators believe overly zealous winemaking obscures terroir, i.e., picking overripe fruit, aging wines in new oak

New world winemakers showing an interest in different expression of wines from single vineyards or specific location, being strengthened by precision viticulture soil mapping

Question 11

Identify the factors to assess with regard to soil preparation

Answer 11

Drainage and structure
Mineral composition
Presence of pests or unwanted plants
Sometimes, topography modifications

Question 12

Identify the factors soil structure influences

Answer 12

Root penetration
Drainage
Nutrient holding capacity and workability

Question 13

Define ‘plough pan’

Answer 13

Plough pan is an impervious layer of compacted soil

If the site was previously used for agriculture, then plough pan may have formed from years of ploughing at the same depth, may need to be broken down before cultivation can take place to promote better drainage and make soil easier to cultivate once the site is establish

Question 14

Define ‘subsoiling’

Answer 14

Process by which plough plan broken down

Question 15

Identify methods for addressing whether there is a presence of pests or unwanted plants in soil

Answer 15

If vines or other crops uprooted to make way for new vines, must remove old roots by burning them to get rid of any disease

If weeds a problem, use systemic herbicides

Question 16

Identify methods for addressing mineral composition regarding soil preparation

Answer 16

Apply farmyard manure, compost, and fertilizers to increase nutrients and organic matter; ploughing incorporates these additions into the soil

If soil pH needs adjusting, e.g. acidic soils (Beaujolais), lime (calcium-based) can be spread on soil and then sloughed in

Question 17

Identify how a grape variety can be more or less adapted to their climate

Answer 17

Time of budding - early budding risks frost (Chardonnay), late budding (Riesling)

Duration of annual life cycle - early ripening suited for cool climates (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir) vs late ripening (Mourvèdre)

Tolerance of drought - withstand high level of water stress (Grenache) good for S Rhone, inland Spain, and McLaren Vale

Resistance of disease - require less monitoring and/or treating in damp climates

Winter hardiness (Vidal, Riesling) - relatively tolerant of very cold winter temps, harsh winters in Ontario, Finger Lakes

Vigor - If high vigor grape varieties (Sauv Blanc) are grown on fertile soils with plentiful water, likely vigor will need managing to avoid excessive shoot growth

Question 18

Outside of climate factors, identify the other factors that influence on choice of grape variety

Answer 18

Style of wine

Yield

Cost

Law

Availability

Market Demand

Question 19

Define ‘head grafting’

Answer 19

Also known as top grafting

Cut original vine at trunk, graft a bud from new grape variety on top.

Advantage - established root system so can produce fruit more quickly than brand new planting

Disadvantage - rootstock selected based on characteristics of original variety and may not be equally suited to new grape variety

Question 20

Identify the factors that influence choice of rootstocks

Answer 20

Pests - phylloxera, some are also tolerant of root-know nematodes (Ramsey & Dog Ridge - v. champini)

Water - tolerant of drought, tolerant of water-logged soil, tolerant of soils with salt

Soil pH - high tolerance to acidic soils or those with high lime content

Vigor - low vigor to high vigor

Question 21

Identify the rootstock for addressing pests

Answer 21

V. Champini

Ramsey, Dog Ridge

Question 22

Identify the rootstock for addressing drought conditions

Answer 22

V. rupestris and V berlandierie

110R or 140R

Root deeply and quickly

Question 23

Identify the rootstock for addressing water-logged soil

Answer 23

V. riparia

Riparia Gloire

Useful in regions with high rainfall and water-retaining soils

Question 24

Identify the rootstock for soil with high levels of dissolved salt

Answer 24

V berlandieri

1103P

Question 25

Identify the rootstock for acidic soils

Answer 25

V rupestris, V berlandierie 99R and 110$

Question 26

Identify the rootstock for soils with high lime content

Answer 26

V. berlandieri 41B

Question 27

Identify the rootstock that are low vigor

Answer 27

V riparia 420A and 3309C Can advance ripening, which may be useful in cool climates

Question 28

Identify the rootstock that are high vigor

Answer 28

V rupestris 140R Useful if grower wants to boost vine growth and yields in vineyard area with infertile soils and dry conditions Decision based on style of wine, e.g., produce grapes for sparkling wine where high yields of grapes with delicate aromas and high acidity more desirable than lower yields of grapes with more concentrated aromas, color and/or tannins

Question 28

Describe what happens as a vine ages

Answer 28

First 2-3 years: common to remove inflorescences as they form so resources concentrated on growth; some GIs even legislate restrict use of fruit from very young vines Young Vines (up to 5 years) - produce relatively low yields because root system is yet to be fully established 10-40 years - yield decreases along with vigor. Grower decides when decreasing yield no longer profitable. 50+ years (very old vines) - can remain profitable in famous old vineyards where wine will obtain super-premium prices. But in areas where inexpensive or med-priced wines, med to high yields required

Question 29

Explain why old vines might be considered to offer higher quality fruit, capable of producing well-balanced wines with greater concentration

Answer 29

Vines have become better balanced and adapted to their environment over the years Lower yields sometimes lead to more concentration in each grape More old wood and therefore bigger store of carbs to rely on early in the growing season or when they are stressed Have survived better than other vines over time because planted in most favorable locations and, therefore, have always produced high quality fruit Also likely to keep best vines for longer before grubbing them up Too many variables to make a direct comparison; young vine planted in suitable location and trained and trellised well likely to produce better fruit than old vine in unsuitable location or that is badly maintained

Question 30

Define 'grubbing up'

Answer 30

Dig vines up out of the ground

Question 31

Identify the terms for old vines

Answer 31

vieilles vignes vinas viejas commonly seen on wine labels, but term isn't regulated Historic Vineyard Society in CA and Barossa Old Vine Charter - specify a min vine age