6.1 Growing Environment & Grape Growing Flashcards
Rutherglen is situated inland in the __________ area of Victoria and has 411 ha under vine.
Rutherglen is situated inland in the northeast area of Victoria and has 411 ha under vine.
Rutherglen has a _________ climate with warm days but moderated by cool air flowing down from the Victorian Alps during the night.
Rutherglen has a continental climate with warm days but moderated by cool air flowing down from the Victorian Alps during the night.
Rutherglen has warm days in the growing season and long, dry autumns. Why is this ideal for the production of this style of wine?
Warm days in the growing season and long, dry autumns mean that large amounts of sugar can accumulate in the grapes, required for these syrupy, very sweet styles of wine. Grapes are often left on the vine until they become extra ripe and start to shrivel. This increases the sugar concentration (it is not unusual for grapes to reach potential alcohol levels of 20% abv) and leads to the development of some dried fruit characteristics e.g. raisin.
When is harvest in Rutherglen?
The producer will decide the time at which to harvest according to the weather and the degree of ripeness they desire, but it will usually be between mid-March and May. Many producers pick different vineyard blocks at different times to gain a combination of earlier harvested fruit with fresh Muscat aromas, and extra-ripe, shrivelled grapes with more sugar and dried fruit characters. The weather at harvest-time can influence which of these alternatives will predominate.
Describe the risk of pests and disease in Rutherglen.
Although autumns are generally dry, rain can occasionally be a problem, increasing the risk of fungal diseases. The orange marmalade aromas that botrytis can give are not desired in the production of these wines, where even despite a long ageing process, the grapey aromas of Muscat should still be identifiable.
Describe the grape varietal used in Rutherglen Muscat?
Rutherglen Muscat is made from Muscat à Petits Grains Rouges, also known locally as Rutherglen Brown Muscat. This is a red- skinned mutation of Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, and similar to the white version, displays pronounced grapey and floral aromas.
How are vines typically trained and trellised in Rutherglen?
A variety of training and trellis systems is used. Vines tend to be trained to double cordons, with the canopy sprawling over a single foliage wire or held by more wires into a VSP system. A key concern, however, will be to provide some shading for the grapes which are likely to otherwise become sunburnt. Rutherglen has considerable plantings of old vines. These old vines are said to produce bunches of smaller grapes with a higher skin to juice ratio, which can produce deeper coloured, more concentrated wines. The proportion of old vine fruit used can be an element of house style.
