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WSET Level 3 > C05 - The Growing Environment > Flashcards

C05 - The Growing Environment Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the one factor influencing a plant’s growth that does not vary?

A

CO2

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2
Q

How is a region’s climate defined?

A

The annual pattern of temperature, sunlight and rainfall averaged out over several years

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3
Q

How is weather defined?

A

The annual variation that happens relative to the climatic average

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4
Q

Below what temperature is it too cold for a vine’s cells to function?

A

10 degrees C

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5
Q

What happens to a vine above 22 degrees?

A

The vine’s cell start to consume more sugar than the vine can produce

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6
Q

In order to ripen grapes successfully, the vine needs the average temperature to be between…

A

16 and 21 degrees C

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7
Q

What determines which vines will thrive within a certain region?

A

Temperature

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8
Q

What has an impact on each stage of a vine’s cycle?

A

Temperature

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9
Q

What occurs later in a cooler region?

A

Bud burst

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10
Q

…and…can be disrupted in a cooler temperature, doing what to yields?

A

Flowering and fruitset
Reducing yields

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11
Q

If temperature is cool during ripening, what happens to acidity and sugar levels?

A

Acid falls less and less sugar is accumulated

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12
Q

What may happen to black grapes in cool growing conditions?

A

They will produce wines which are overly astringent and herbaceous (a result of being physiologically unripe)

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13
Q

Why can white grapes cope with cooler conditions better?

A

They have no need for ripe tannins and wines are balanced with higher acidity levels

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14
Q

List in order the key stages of a vine’s growth cycle…

A

Budburst
Early shoot and leaf growth
Flowering and fruit set
Véraison/berry ripening
Harvest
Winter dormancy

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15
Q

List the factors affecting annual temperature…

A

Latitude
Altitude
Ocean currents
Fog
Soil
Aspect

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16
Q

How does latitude affect a vine’s temperature needs?

A

The further from the equator, the cooler an area is on average.

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17
Q

What approximate latitudes are best for viticulture? Why?

A

30 - 50 degrees. These latitudes satisfy a vine’s need for warmth, but also winter dormancy.

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18
Q

How does temperature drop with altitude?

A

0.6 degrees C with every 100m increase in altitude

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19
Q

How do ocean currents affect climate/weather?

A

By cooling or warming the air above and around them

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20
Q

How does fog affect temperature? List two examples of areas where this is an important factor…

A

It cools an area.
California and Casablanca in Chile.

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21
Q

What kind of soil absorbs and reradiates the sun’s heat?

A

Darker soils or those with a higher stone and rock content

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22
Q

How does soil with a high water content affect ripening?

A

It delays it, as it takes more energy to heat the soil and heat from the vines is conducted away more quickly

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23
Q

How does aspect affect ripening? Give an example of a region which benefits particularly from a good aspect…

A

The side of a slope facing towards the equator receives more sunlight and heat.
The Mosel Valley.

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24
Q

How is continentality defined?

A

It is the temperature difference between winter and summer

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25
Q

What is the main factor affecting continentality? Why?

A

Proximity of large bodies of water.
They cool down and heat up slower than land masses.

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26
Q

Name the four main inputs required for a vine

A

Heat
Sunlight
Water
Nutrients

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27
Q

What gives a vine heat?

A

Sunlight and soil

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28
Q

Where does a vine get light from?

A

The sun and the soil

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29
Q

How does a vine get water?

A

Rainfall, irrigation and water stored in soil/bedrock

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30
Q

Where does a vine get its nutrients?

A

Soil deposits
Bedrock
Humus
Fertiliser

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31
Q

What’s the biggest factor that can influence diurnal range?

A

Seas and lakes

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32
Q

What can affect levels of cloud cover?

A

Smaller bodies of water

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33
Q

What two positive effects do cool nights have on a vineyard?

A

They help the vines rest, extending the growing season They help slow the loss of volatile aromas

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34
Q

What effect do warm nights have on a vineyard?

A

They help to accelerate ripening, particularly the production of sugar

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35
Q

What kind of wines do regions with a high diurnal range generally create?

A

Fresher and more aromatic

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36
Q

What is the impact on wine of a smaller diurnal range?

A

They are usually fuller bodied

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37
Q

Name a rare region with a low continentality, but high diurnal range. Why?

A

Napa Valley. It’s close to the Pacific, moderating continentality, but experiences on-shore and off-shore breezes and fogs, increasing diurnal range

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38
Q

What is Winter Freeze?

A

When the temp drops below -20 deg C. This can damage or kill a vine

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39
Q

The part of a vine most at risk during winter freeze is…

A

The graft callus

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40
Q

How can graft calluses be protected during winter freeze?

A

By covering up the callus with soil (sometimes the whole vine)

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41
Q

What is Spring frost?

A

Cold air below 0 deg C collecting at ground level and freezing any settled water vapour

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42
Q

What happens to a vine during spring frosts?

A

Newly burst buds or shoots are killed by frost

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43
Q

What are the four main methods of protection against frost?

A

Burners
Wind machines
Sprinklers
Vineyard design

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44
Q

What are burners/smudge pots?

A

The heat they generate creates movement in the air, preventing cold air from settling and causing frost. Smudge pots also generate smoke, insulating heat from the vineyard

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45
Q

Why/how do sprinklers work in frost protection?

A

When their water freezes, it releases latent heat, protecting buds and shoots

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46
Q

How can thoughtful vineyard design help to protect against frost?

A

By planting crops away from depressions, you will avoid the worst of potential frosts. Vines can also be trained high.

47
Q

What impact can a mild winter have on a vine?

A

It can prevent the vine from being dormant, and in the worst cases, the vine can produce more than one crop a year, shortening the vine’s life and reducing its quality

48
Q

How else can mild winters be bad for viticulture?

A

Larger populations of pests can survive to attack the vines in the following summer

49
Q

What negative effects can high summer temperatures have on a vine? What if there’s insufficient water too?

A

They accelerate ripening, altering the grapes’ compositions and changing the styles of the wine. When water is low, the vine may stop ripening its grapes, it may shed its leaves and even die

50
Q

What limits the RATE of photosynthesis?

A

Light levels

51
Q

The more…the greater the amount of glucose the leaves produce for growth and grapes

A

Light

52
Q

Name an area where sugar levels will remain low due to cloud cover

A

Hunter Valley, Australia

53
Q

What can happen to grapes if it is too sunny?

A

They can become sunburnt, resulting in bitter dark patches on grapes

54
Q

Name the three factors affecting sunlight…

A

Seas and Lakes
Latitude
Aspect

55
Q

Explain how proximity to large bodies of water can affect sunlight…

A

Vineyards near seas and lakes tend to experience more cloud cover. Sometimes vineyards situated above rivers and lakes can benefit from reflected sunlight.

56
Q

Explain the effect of latitude on sunlight.
Give two places which benefit from this effect…

A

Day length during the summer season is longer, the further away from the equator a vineyard is.
Germany (Riesling) and Washington State (Cabernet)

57
Q

Which elements of aspect are favourable for the ripening of grapes?

A

Steeper slopes and facing toward the equator

58
Q

Where in the world is sun exposure most important and why?

A

Furthest away from the equator as the sun’s energy is weaker here

59
Q

What is a grapevine’s natural habitat?

A

Woodland, where they would flower and fruit when they broke through the canopy

60
Q

What is the biological benefit of a grapevine only bearing fruit once it has broken woodland canopy?

A

Here its fruits would be more visible to animals, ready for propagation

61
Q

Under what light conditions are buds less fruitful?

A

In shade

62
Q

Besides total lack of ripening, what else may occur in shaded conditions?

A

Coulure

63
Q

What is used to ensure the ripening of grapes in areas with less light exposure?

A

Canopy management techniques

64
Q

What can the effect of exceptionally cloudy conditions be on wine?

A

Low levels of alcohol, unripe tannins and flavours

65
Q

How can poor light conditions affect crops?

A

Crops may reduce

66
Q

Name the three uses a vine has for water…

A

It gives rigidity to shoots and leaves
Regulates its temperature
Swells its grapes

67
Q

What is transpiration?

A

How a vine accesses water through its roots and draws it up to its leaves

68
Q

What determines the amount of water a vine uses?

A

Temperature

69
Q

Why is water stress beneficial to grape ripening?

A

The vine has enough water to photosynthesise, but switches its glucose resources from shoot growth to grape ripening

70
Q

Viticulturally speaking, how can the impact of shading be reduced?

A

By water-stressing the vine

71
Q

What can be disrupted by rainfall?

A

Flowering and fruit set

72
Q

What encourages fungal infection?

A

Damp conditions after rainfall

73
Q

What is the potential impact of heavy rain shortly before harvest? How does this impact resulting wines?

A

Berries can swell, diluting flavors in the wines they produce

74
Q

In extreme cases after rainfall, berries can split. What other hazard does this attract?

A

Fungal disease

75
Q

What can be used if rainfall is insufficient?

A

Irrigation

76
Q

What are the three main irrigation techniques?

A

Drip irrigation
Sprinklers
Flood irrigation

77
Q

What is drip irrigation?

A

The most advanced and expensive form of irrigation.Each vine has its own dripper that can be computer controlled, ensuring that each vine gets an optimal amount of water.

78
Q

What are the benefits and disadvantages of sprinklers as a form of irrigation?

A

They are a lot cheaper than drip irrigation, but they waste a lot of water and create damp conditions like rainfall, increasing disease-risk

79
Q

What is the benefit of flood irrigation? What are the barriers? Give two examples of where it can be/is used…

A

It’s very cheap, but only possible in flat or gently sloping vineyards where there is access to large quantities of water.
Chile and Argentina.

80
Q

What can happen during short term drought?

A

The vine can temporarily stop transpiration, preserving its resources

81
Q

What happens if the vine has access to too much water during the growing season?

A

It promotes excessive vegetative growth

82
Q

What effect does it have on grapes if a vine becomes vegetatively overactive?

A

This diverts sugars from the ripening grapes. Also the excess of shoots and leaves increases the risk of shading.

83
Q

What effect can summer hail have on a vine?

A

It can damage the grapes and even the vine itself, in worst cases, destroying an entire crop

84
Q

Name an area particularly prone to hail…

A

Mendoza, Argentina

85
Q

List three preventative measures against hail…

A

Netting, aircrafts and rockets

86
Q

When is the growing season in the northern/Southern Hemisphere?

A

April - October and October - April

87
Q

In order, what are the temperature definitions laid out by WSET for ‘Cool’, ‘Moderate’, ‘Warm’ and ‘Hot’

A

Cool: 16.5c (62F) or below
Moderate: 16.5c to 18.5c (62-65F)
Warm: 18.5c to 21c (65-70F)
Hot: Above 21c (70F)

88
Q

List continentality, rainfall, temperature of growing season and sunlight of growing season for all three climate types…

A

Continental: High continentality, low rainfall, cool, moderate, warm or hot temp and usually very sunny
Maritime: Low to medium continentality, medium to high rainfall, cool or moderate temperature and cloudy
Mediterranean: Low to medium continentality (precipitation mostly in winter), moderate or warm temperatures and usually sunny

89
Q

When typically does the temperature rapidly drop in a continental climate?

A

Autumn

90
Q

What kind of varieties are best suited to cool continental climates?

A

Ones that bud late and ripen early

91
Q

What climates experience very dry summers?

A

Continental

92
Q

When does it rain the most in a maritime climate?

A

It rains evenly throughout the year

93
Q

What effect does the year-round rain in a maritime climate have on other climatic features?

A

It moderates sunlight and temperature

94
Q

How does a maritime climate affect the length of a growing season?

A

It lengthens it as a result of its moderating effects

95
Q

Name the biggest hazards of a maritime climate

A

Spring and summer rains, which can be a very significant risk to the flowering, fruit set and health of the grapes at harvest

96
Q

What is Humus?

A

Organic matter

97
Q

What are the three major components of soil?

A

Soil particles, stones and rocksHumusPlant nutrients

98
Q

Where do soil particles, stones and rocks come from?

A

The underlying rock or later deposits laid on top of it

99
Q

What are the largest types of soil particle?

A

Sand

100
Q

What are the smallest soil particles?

A

Clay

101
Q

From a viticultural point of view, what are the disadvantages of large soil particles?

A

They are poor at holding water and plant nutrients

102
Q

What kind of particle size makes up the best soils?

A

A mixture of sizes

103
Q

What are the benefits of Humus?

A

It is rich in plant nutrients and had excellent water retaining properties

104
Q

What are the three key plant nutrients?

A

Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium

105
Q

Where do plant nutrients come from?

A

Decaying plant material
Manure
Dissolved mineral salts

106
Q

Describe the ideal soil for viticulture

A

It has relatively few nutrients and is well drained, but able to store enough water to support the vine through the growing season

107
Q

How should water supply to a vine ideally vary over the growing season?

A

A good supply early on to support growth, then water stress after veraison to benefit ripening

108
Q

How is water stored in the soil?

A

By binding with clay particles or humus. It may be accessible in the underlying rock, too.

109
Q

What will happen to a vine exposed to too-high levels of nutrients?

A

It will grow too vigorously

110
Q

What is the most common symptom linked to nutrient deficiency?

A

Chlorosis

111
Q

What is Chlorosis?

A

The leaves turning yellow because they lose chlorophyll. Photosynthesis reduces and grape quality/yield is affected.

112
Q

What’s the most common cause of Chlorosis? What sort of soil is most likely to cause this?

A

The inability of a vine to gain sufficient iron from the soil. Soils with high limestone content.

113
Q

Give examples of places with soils high in limestone

A

Barolo, Burgundy, Rioja and Champagne

WSET Level 3 (27 decks)

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