Chapter 4 - Viticulture Flashcards
Describe the structure of the grape vine. What are all the parts?
- Trunk
- Root System
*Branches/arms
*Cordon
*Canes
*Spurs
*Leaf
*Bud
*Canopy
*Bunches
The grape vine consists of a single trunk, which connects to the root system underground as well as the branches or canes, shoots, and leaves.
The branches which are sometimes called arms.
Which start as spurs, which develop into young, thin canes.
During pruning most canes are removed.
Canes that are not pruned and live on will be come the Cordon.
The vines arm is what supports the leaves and grape bunches. This portion is called the Canopy.
What is a repositories?
The skin, and pulp of the grape are designed to protect the seed from damage and nourish it while it matures.
The Green skin is camouflage.
The pulp is very acidic until the grape ripens for harvest.
As the seed approaches maturity, the skin develops an attractive red or gold coloring. While the pulp becomes increasingly sweet and juicy.
This is the enticement for birds and other woodland creatures to eat them and carry the seeds elsewhere.
Describe the life cycle of the vine?
Seed - The seed is spread and in nature this is the first step.
Although in commercial viticulture we skip this step because it takes to much time, and can produce unpredictable outcomes.
One viable method to skip this step is cloning.
A second option is Field grafting.
A vine may produce grapes on the first or second season when cloning or grafting is done. The quality may not be there quite yet though. Normally these grapes are dropped to allow the vine to focus on health and build it self for the upcoming season.
The third leaf or third season is usually the first vintage to take the fruit.
It takes an average of six years to produce quality fruit.
after about twenty years the vine becomes less vigorous, producing fewer grape clusters and fewer leaves. - the quality continues to grow at this time.
What is a clone or the process of cloning?
First you select a healthy grape vine that is known to have the characteristics that you are looking for.
Cut off a short length of a young cane and place it in water to encourage root growth.
Plant it in the vineyard.
Boom.
What is “old vine”?
Old Vine is a time when the vine reaches a point past maturity. The clusters and leaf production slow but the quality continues to grow year after year.
This term is not regulated. 50 years + and even 100 or more.
What is “third leaf”?
The third vintage.
Usually this is the first vintage that one might keep the fruit after grafting or cloning their vines.
What is the process of field grafting?
if you are looking to change the grapes in one vineyard to another for one reason or another.
You take healthy vines that have established root systems.
Then you remove the existing branches, and make a small incision in the trunk and insert an unrooted cutting from a desired vine.
what is a cane?
A cane is the small branch that starts off from the trunk as a spur.
baby branch or arm.
What is a cordon?
A cordon is a cane that did not get pruned back and grows year after year.
A thicker arm.
Most vines are encouraged to have 1-2 arms.
What is a canopy?
A Canopy is the section of the vine that comes out of the arms that will produces grape clusters along with leaves.
Between latitudes are grapes traditionally grown throughout the world?
30-50 degrees.
Both Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere.
quickly and succinctly describe the Annual Growth Cycle of the vine?
Temps in the ground hit 50
Weeping
Budbreak (Critical)
leaves growth and development - Photsynthesis
Flowering (Critical)
fertilization
berry ripening
harvest
dormant prep
dormant.
Starting with Dormancy. Winter time the growth of the vine takes a pause, the vine saves its energy and hibernates.
The season officially starts in spring with the first growth of the year. This process starts when things start to warm up and the ground temperature rises above 50 degrees F.
First you will see weeping. This is when the sap begins to flow upward from the trunk and out to the tips of the canes. This process only lasts a day or two.
After this tiny shoots called buds emerge from the nodes in the vines branches. A process called Bud Break. When this happens cold weather is the enemy as it could end the growth for the year if it gets too cold.
The shoots will continue to grow and strengthen. leaves are next produced. During this time it is slow growth. The plant is using reserve carbohydrates from the previous year.
Once the leaves develop photosynthesis can begin. Powered from the sun, growth and energy increases.
Flowering (The next critical phase) - This process takes place 40 to 80 days after bud break.
Clusters of tiny flowers appear at intervals along the shoots.
Each flower that is fertilized will become the foundation for a grape.
Vinifera is self pollinating. the wind or breeze will blow pollen from one part to another. Once fertilized the flower will create a grape berry.
Warm Dry weather is ideal during flowering. Heavy wind or rain can ruin the chances of pollination. This could create a smaller crop for the year.
After fruit set, the berries begin to grow to the eventual mature size. This process takes about 3 months.
Veraison is the next step. This is the growing process when the grapes start to grow in size and the develpment increases getting closer to maturation. Harvest takes places a month and a half after veraision.
Veraision is most noticeable in red grapes, they begin to take on color, while green grapes remain green but become more translucent or transition to gold or yellow.
Maturation continues as veraision has ended. The grapes continue to grow in size, soften and mature. Sugar is being stored, acidity levels are starting to fall and the seeds are developing.
As the grapes continue to ripen the sugar levels increase and the acidity levels go down. The growers job is to pick when there is a balance of phenolics and sugars.
Harvest.
Cold nights in the autumn signal the vine to go into a dormant state in order to protect itself over the winter.
The vine will drop its leaves and begin to drain the sap back down into the trunk and roots.
once this process happens, farmers can go and prune for the winter season.
The pruning will be most of that years growth to keep the vine size manageable and keep the growth for next year in check.
Dormant
what is a fruit set/berry set?
The transformation from flower to berry
Describe flowering?
The process of tiny clusters of flowers appear along the shoots
this takes place 40-80 days
What is bud break?
Tiny shoots emerges from the nodes in the vines branches.
What is Coulure? (shatter)
Poor fruit set, with many flowers failing to become fully developed berries
What is the term “millerandage”?
abnormal fruit set.
sometimes caused by bad weather during flowering. the results are grape bunches that have a high proportion of small seedless berries mixed in with the normal larger seed-bearing grapes.
