6 - Vineyard Management Flashcards
Describe 3 considerations that affect site selection
- Environmental Considerations
- Business Considerations
- Grape Varietal
Give 3 reasons why environmental conditions are important.
The data collected about the environmental conditions will determine:
The grape variety that can be grown.
The optimal planting density that can be determined.
The appropriate training and trellising system
What business considerations need attention in site selection?
Proximity to infrastructure
Labour Availability
Machinery Accessibility
Land Cost
Why is grape varietal selection important?
It must be in demand
It must meet legal requirements.
It must suit the climatic conditions.
How are new plantings given the best chance of survival?
Vegetative Clearing
Fertilisation
Plastic Sleeves (protect against animals)
Irrigation
What is the ultimate goal with vineyard management?
To maximise production of fruit at the desired quality as economically as possible.
What is vine training?
Vine training refers to the shape of the permanent wood on a vine.
Name 2 vine training systems.
- Head Training.
2. Cordon Training.
Describe a head trained vine.
Little permanent wood
Consists of either a trunk or a trunk with a small number of short arms.
Describe a cordon trained vine.
A trunk with 1 or more permanent arms/cordons.
Can consist of more arms (nutrient rich soils and heavy rainfall)
Give one disadvantage and one advantage of cordon trained vines.
Advantage: Better for machine harvesting.
Disadvantage: Longer to establish.
Why would a vine be high trained?
Why would a vine be low trained?
High: To avoid frost damage
Low: To allow it to benefit from the heat of the soil.
What is vine pruning?
Pruning is the removal of unwanted leaves, canes and permanent wood.
Why is pruning performed?
- It shapes and limits vine size.
2. It determines the number and location of buds.
Name 2 pruning systems?
Spur Pruning
Replacement Cane Pruning
Describe spur pruning.
1 year old wood, cut to 2-3 buds distributed along a cordon or on top of a trunk.
Describe replacement cane pruning.
Cane = Long section of 1 year old wood holding 8-20 buds
What is Guyot Training?
Head trained, replacement cane pruned vines.
What is the purpose of summer pruning?
- Targets the canopy to restrict vegetative growth.
- Encourages ripening by diverting sugar production to grapes.
- Leaf stripping exposes grape bunches to sunlight for ripening.
What is the cost consideration with replacement cane pruning?
It’s more complex, requiring skilled labour to choose suitable canes.
What is a bobelet system?
Head trained,
Spur pruned
Untrellised.
What is the canopy?
The canopy is composed of all the green parts of the plant.
What is a trellis and why is it used?
A trellis is a permanent structure of stakes and wires.
A trellis is used to support replacement canes and a vines annual growth.
Describe an untrellised vine.
An untrellised vine is one where the shoots are unsupported and hang toward the ground. They are typically head trained and spur pruned.
What climates best suit untrellised vines? Provide 2 vineyard areas where this system is used.
Warm, dry sunny regions.
Southern Rhone.
Barossa Valley, Australia
What is the advantage of an untrellised system?
The shade it provides protects the grapes from extreme sunlight
What are the disadvantages of untrellised vines?
The lack of airflow can promote or encourage disease.
The shade provided can impede ripening.
Are untrellised vines hand or machine harvested?
Hand harvested.
Describe a trellised vineyard
A line of posts joined by wire, to which canes and shoots are afixed.
Give 3 reasons why a trellised system might be used
- Young shoot arrangement can control exposure.
- An open canopy provides for air circulation
- It aids in the mechanisation of harvest by positioning the leaves and grapes at specific heights.
What is VSP?
VSP is a trellising technique in which the vines shoots are trained vertically and tied to the trellis forming a single narrow canopy.
What is the advantage of VSP
The canopy is open, aerated and shade free.
Avoids disease. promotes ripening.
What adaptation can be used in VSP to limit exposiure.
The tops of the vines can be allowed to grow out and flop down, providing exposure protection.
Define vine/vineyard density? The unit of measure and the usual range of density.
The numeber of vines planted per unit area.
Typically expressed as vines/hectare.
1,000-10,000 vines/hectare
What level of density best suits areas with limited water supply, and why?
Low density.
Allows absorption of nutrients and water from a large area without competition.
What level of planting density is best suited to areas with limited nutrients and sufficient rainfall. And why?
High density.
Promotes competition between vines, restricting vegetative growth.
Best practise with this density level is to check bud numbers after winter.
What density system is most widely used in Europe?
High density with strict bud control
What level of planting density is best suited to areas with high nutrient levels and sufficient rainfall.
Where can this be used?
And the advantage of it?
Low density with multiple cordons/canes.
Fertile New World Areas
Good quality wines at high yields.
What is vine yield?
The unit its measured in?
Measure of the amount of grapes produced.
Tonnes/hectare
Hectolitres/Hectare
Explain why yields need to be managed?
Legal requirements.
Contractual obligations
Managing winery tank space.
How are yields estimated?
Number of buds on the vine after winter pruning.
What factors can affect vine yields?
Frosts
Poor Fruit Set
Insects and Pests
What is green harvesting?
Green harvesting is the removal of immature grapes shortly after veraison to limit yields.
Why is green harvesting risky?
If badly timed, the vine will compensate by growing bigger grapes, diluting flavours and producing the same yield as originally projected anyway.
Why is pest and disease management importnat?
It can affect quality and yield.
Leaf damage affect photosynthesis.
Some can be fatal to the vine.
Name 4 types of pest
- Phylloxera
- Nematodes
- Birds and Mammals
- Insects
What is a nematode?
It is a microscopic worm
What effect does a nematode have on a vine?
It attacks the roots, affecting nutrient and water uptake.
It can also infect a vine with viruses.
What is the treatment for nematode infection?
Soil sterilisation and the use of resistant rootstocks.
What threat do birds and mammals pose to vines?
Eat grapes, affecting yield.
Damage grapes, causing infection.
What measures can be taken to protect vines from mammals and birds?
Fencing and netting
What threat do insects pose to a vine?
They eat the grapes and leaves, affecting yield and exposing the vine to infection.
What measure can be taken to combat against insects.
Insecticides
Integrated Pest Management
Name 2 types of fungal disease that vines can fall victim too.
Downy/ Powdery Mildew
Grey Rot
In what conditions do downy/powdery mildew thrive?
Warm humid environments.
What effect does downy/powdery mildew have on grapes flavour?
The grapes lose their fruity flavours and give a mouldy, bitter taint.
What parts of the vine does downy/powdery mildew affect?
Attacks all the green parts.
What part of the vine does grey rot affect?
Tends to attack the grapes.
What conditions does grey rot thrive in?
Damp conditions
What effect does grey rot have on grape character?
It taints the flavours and causes colour loss in reds.
What is interesting about grey rot when it affects whites?
It causes noble rot in whites under the right conditions.
What is the latin nomenclature for grey rot?
Botrytis Cinerea
Name 2 methods of fungal disease prevention
Fungicide
Canopy Management
How is powdery mildew treated?
Sulfur Based Spray
How is downy mildew treated?
Bordeaux mixture, Copper based spray.
How is fungicidal treatment normally applied.
By tractor, more frequently in heavy rainfall, Treatment is stopped before harvest.
How does canopy management prevent fungal infection?
Dense canopy prevents evaporation causing dampness.
Open canopy allows aeration and evaporation, requiring less spraying.
Wy are viruses detrimental to vineyards?
They don’t kill vines but affect yield and quality.
They are contagious and persistent.
How do viruses spread?
They spread by cuttings and nematodes.
How are viral infections treated?
The vine needs pulling and the soil sanitising.
How do bacterial infections affect vineyards?
Many of them reduce yield and quality.
How do bacterial infections spread?
Spread by infections called sharpshooters
How are bacterial infections treated and contained?
It’s necessary to interrupt the sharpshooters lifecycle to limit the spread.
To eradicate a bacterial infection, it’s necessary to dig up the vine and sanitise the soil.
Name 3 systems of viticultural practise.
- Sustainable
- Organic
- Biodynamic
What defines sustainable agriculture?
- Restricted use of man-made chemicals
- Better monitoring of pest life cycles and weather to maximise spraying efficacy.
- Integrated pest management.
What is integrated pest management?
Supporting the growth of a range of plants in the vineyard.
What are the advantages of integrated pest management?
Provides a habitat for a range of predators of pests and provides nutrients to the land when tilled.
Define organic agriculture
Limited number of sustainable methods and in limited quantities.
Certification is required by a regulatory body. Standards vary between bodies.
A period of conversion is usually required by all regulatory bodies.
Define biodynamic agriculture
Combines organic practise with cosmology and philosophy.
Practices are adapted to coincide with the cycle of the planets, moon and stars. Homeopathic methods can also be used.
Whose work is the practise of biodynamic agriculture based on?
Rudolf Steiner
Maria Thun
How is ripeness commonly tracked in the vineyard?
Sugar levels determine ripeness
What considerations come into play in the timing of harvest?
Weather forecast
Winery capacity
Describe how machine harvesting takes place?
Vine trunk is shaken and the released berries are collected.
What is the advantage of machine harvesting?
Speed (Weather/Quickly over-ripening grapes)
Allows work to take place at night.
What are the disadvantages of machine harvesting?
Flat/gently sloped vineyards are required.
Robust, easily released grape varieties only.
Can’t do whole bunch picking.
Machine harvesting is not selective. Matter other than grapes are collected also.
What are the advantages of hand harvesting?
It allows for specific selection (Noble Rot)
Less damage is done to the grapes.
The stems are retained for pure, clean juice when pressed.
It can be the only option available on steep slopes.
Give 3 examples of areas where hand harvesting is required.
Duoro, Portugal
Mosel, Germany
N. Rhone, France.
What is the disadvantage of hand harvesting?
It’s slow and more expensive than machine harvesting.
Name the 6 stages of the vineyard cycle.
- Budburst
- Early Shoot and Leaf Growth
- Flowering and Fruit Set
- Veraison and Berry Ripening
- Harvest
- Winter Dormancy
What time of year does budburst take place and at what temperature?
March/April N.H.
Sep/Oct S.H.
Above 10C
What climate events can affect budburst?
Spring frosts.
What happens during early shoot and leaf growth?
Rapid shoot and leaf growth
initially fed by rootstock carb reserves, and then later by photosynthesis.
Sufficient water and nutrients are also required.
What time of year does early shoot and leaf growth take place.
Mar-May NH
Sept-Nov SH
What time of year does flowering and fruit set take palce?
May-Jun NH
Nov-Dec SH
What requirements must be met before flowering and fruit set can take place.
Warmth is needed for inflorescences to flower.
Little to no rain helps pollination to take place.
What happens at fruit set
Flowers turn to grapes
What is Coloure?
When grapes do not change colour successfully.
What is millerandage?
The formation of seedless grapes that remain small.
When and for how long does veraison and ripening take place?
July-Sept NH
Jan-Mar SH
6-8 weeks of grape growth (remaining green and hard)
What colour changes take place during veraison?
Black grapes turn from red to purple.
White grapes turn from green to translucent to golden
What happens between veraison and harvest?
Grapes swell, sugars rise, acid drops and colour and flavour compounds accumulate and tannins develop.
What conditions are required for grapes to ripen?
Warm and sunny conditions are ideal. Mild water stress encourages ripening.
When does summer pruning take place?
Green harvesting might happen after veraison.
What conditions are required at harvest time?
Ideally it’s dry period.
Spraying will have ceased in preparation.
What time of the year does harvest take place?
Sept/Oct NH
Mar/Apr SH
What time fo the year does winter dormancy take place?
Dec-Mar NH
Jul-Sept SH
What happens to the vine during winter dormancy?
Shoots become woody and turn to canes.
Leaves fall off.
Carbs are stored in the rootstock.
What is earthing up and why is it done?
Covering the trunk in earth to protect it from winter freezing temperatures.
Why is winter frost a threat?
It can kill next years buds.
What preparation is done in the vineyard during the winter?
Winter pruning in preparation for the following growing season.
