Chapter 5 Flashcards
Vineyard Establishment
What are key areas to assess to determine the suitability of land before planting?
Detailed site assessment of:
* site selection
* soil preparation
* planting material
* nutrient, water & canopy management sould also be consisdered and planned
The growing environment of a vineyard depends on its ____
location
Why is site selection so important?
it will influence style, quality and price of wines made (and vice versa)
What do producers prioritize when it comes to producing high vol, inexpensive/mid-priced wines?
HIGH YIELDS of HEALTHY GRAPES produced CONSISTENTLY and relatively CHEAPLY
For site selection, what can be ideal conditions for high vol, inexpensive wines?
Flat, fertile land in dry, warm cliamte
ex: central valley, chile
Why can Central Valley, Chile be ideal for high vol, inexpensive/mid-priced wines?
High yields that adequately ripen due to:
* fertile soil
* plenty of warmth
* option to irrigate
Flat land - allows mechanisation, quicker, faster
Dry climate - less disease rick, save money on spraying
Why can flat, fertile land in warm, dry climate be ideal for production of high vol, inexpensive wines?
- fertile soils + plenty of warm = good for high yields of adqueate ripeness
- dry climate = reduce fungal disease, save money on spraying
- flat land = allows mechanisation, quicker & cheaper
What is the goal or priority when it comes to producing premium/super premium wines?
prioritise healthy grapes of optimal composition (sugar, acid, tannin, color, aroma levels) for style being made over keeping costs low
For producing premium wines in WARM climates, what might grower consider for site selection?
higher altitudes or sites exposed to cooling sea breezes for better balance of wine
For producing premium wines in COOL climates, what might grower consider for site selection?
aspects that get more sunshine throughout the day
In addition to natural resource factors, what other logistical, legal and cost factors need to be assessed for vineyard site selection?
- Price of land (GI’s and PDOs)
- Location, layout, typography (frost pockets, disease suspectiblity
- Steep slopes, no machines = labor costs
- Irrigation - source and cost
- Ease of access to vineyard (delivery of grapes w/o oxidation or microbial spoilage)
- Proximity to towns (supplies, businesses, labor, etc)
- EU laws (PDO)
- ROI
Terroir comes from the French word ____ meaning ____
terre meaning land
What is the physical definition of ‘terroir’
a sense of place - wine shows characteristics that related to the place the grapes are gorwn - cliamte, soil, aspect, elevation
What is the cultural definition of ‘terroir’
this definition extends beyond physical elements to include human interventions (e.g. trellising, PDO regulations, etc)
Why can grapes grown in Cote d’Or just a few hundred meters of each taste different?
terroir - location of the vines on slopes, small diff in soil, aspect, drainage, etc
“Geological make up of soil direclty affects the taste of the wine”
Why does the scientific community contest this?
they note primary driver of vine growth is photosynthesis. all aroma compounds are synthesied in the vine and grape must further transformed in fermentation
How is terroir being explored world-wide (beyond EU)?
winemakers exploring terroir via wies made from single vineyard or site expressions - stregnthed via soil mapping technology (precision viticulture)
What are main assessments a producer needs to do for the soil of a new site?
- drainage
- structure of soil
- mineral composition
- pest and unwanted plants
In some cases, the topography of the vineyard may be modified
When is best to retify any problems with soil?
before new vines are planted
What does soil structure have a significant influence on?
- root penetration
- water drainage
- nutrient holding capacity
- workability
What are some practices producers may to implement to prepare the soil of a new site?
- Remove large rocks
- Break down of the plough pan - via subsoiling
- Ensure old roots removed and burned
- Apply systemic herbicides for weed problem
- Apply manure, compost, fertiliser via ploughing
- Adjust soil pH
- Landscaping to change topography or construct terraces
What is ploughing?
turning over the surface layer of soil and burying it
What is plough pan?
the imprevious (not allowing fluid to pass through) layer of soil formed by repeated plough at the same depth, restricting drainaged and root growth
Why is a plough pan problematic?
restrict drainage and root growth
Why do growers need to break down the plough pan before planting new vines
- it promotes better drainage
- makes soil easier to cultivate
Why must roots from other crops or old vines must be burned before new vines are planted?
they may habor disease
What could growers do there was a particular problem with weeds in their new site?
use systemic herbicides (absorbed and circulated within the plant) to reach deep roots and prevent regrowth
diff from contact herbicides where its only applied to affected areas
Why may a producer need to apply manure, compost or fertliser for a new site?
to increase nutrient and organic matter
how would grape grower go about incorporating compost, fertilsier, manure to a new site?
via ploughing - turning over surface layer of the soil and burying it
How can grape growers adjust acidic soil (like those in Beaujolais) in their new site?
They can spread lime (a calcium based substance) on the soil and plough it in.
if you just apply to surface, it takes too long to take effect
Why might growers build terraces for their new sites?
Terraces may be built for steep slopes (like the Douro Valley), to provide flat land to plant vines on
In terms of planting material, what decisions does a grape grower need to make?
- grape variety
- clone if grafting to rootstock
- rootstock
What climatic factors do grape growers need to consider in deciding grape variety
- Time of budding
- Duration of annual lifecycle
- Tolerance to drought
- Resistance to disease
- Winter hardiness
- Vigour
In addition to climatic factors, what else do grape growers need to consider when deciding on grape variety?
- Style
- Yield
- Cost
- Laws
- Availability
- Demand
What risk do grape growers need to consider as it relates to the time of budding when deciding on grape variety to grow?
Early budding varieties at higher risk of front damage
ex: Chardonnay, Pinot of early budding
When deciding on which grape to plant, what does a grower need to consider in terms of the duration of annual lifecycle of a variety?
early ripening varieties better suited to cool climates as they reach suitable ripeness before cold weather starts
late ripening better suited to warm/hot climates bc they need extra warmth to ripen
____- ripening varieties are better suited to cool climates. Why?
they can reach suitable ripeness before colder weather sets in autumn; cool climates have a shorter growing season.
in warm climates, these grapes gain too much sugar and lose acid too much –> unbalanced wine
ex: chard and pinot
is riesling early or late budding
late budding - hence good for cool climate like Germany and less risk of spring frost
____- ripening varieties are better suited to warm and hot climates. Why?
they take longer to ripen, and warm/hot climates provide longer growing season
ex: Cab, mourvedre, syrah
Why do cool climates have shorter growing season?
colder weather means delay in budburst/growing season
For dry climates, what should grape growers consider when deciding grape variety
if grape variety can withstand high level of water stress
ex: Grenache (hence inland spain, S Rhone, McClaren Vale
Give example of:
* Early budding variety
* Late budding variety
* Early ripening variety
* Late ripening variety
* Drought resistance variety
* Resistance to fungal disease
* Winter hardy variety
* Vigorous variety
- Early budding variety = Pinot Noir, Chard
- Late budding variety = Riesling
- Early ripening variety = Pinot Noir, Chard
- Late ripening variety = Cab, Syrah, Nebbiolo
- Drought resistance variety = Grenache
- Resistance to fungal disease = Cab (to grey rot)
- Winter hardiness = Vidal, riesling
- Vigor = Sauv B
What should grape growers in damp climates considering when deciding grape variety
resistance to fungal diseases
ex: Cabernet
What should grape growers in climates with cold, harsh winters considering when deciding grape variety
choose winter hardy grapes like Riesling and Vidal who can tolerate it
Why do grape growers need to consider grape variety vigor for deciding grape variety?
if grown on fertile land with plenty of water - they need to manage vigor to avoid excessive shoot growth
What is a prime concern and consideration for choosing grape variety for inexpensive wines?
Grow high yielding grape varieties or clones
e.g. Grenache
How does cost come into play when growers are deciding on grape variety? What do they need to consider?
Some varieties like Pinot Noir are much more difficult and prone to disease, so need more monitoring and spraying so more costly
How can grape growers keep up with market trends of grape vartieties going in and out of fashion?
Via head grafting/top grafting.
What is head grafting?
Growers cut orginal vine trunk and graft new bud from new variety on top
What are the benefits and disadvantage out top/head grafting?
- Advantage: They already have establish root system so new variety produces fruit more quickly than brand new plant
- Disadvantage: rookstock already been selected based on characteristics of original variety, and isn’t always suited to new variety
Most factors affecting grape variety choice also impact decision of clones. Which factors less affected by clone selection?
- consumer popularity
- legislation
What is the main reason for grafting?
to protect vines from phylloxera
why are most rootstocks hybrids?
they come from two different vine species to take on characteristics from both parents
What criteria does a grape grower assess when deciding rootstock
- Pest
- Water (drought or water-logged soil tolerant)
- Soil pH
- Vigor
What pests can certain rootstocks be tolerant of?
Root-knot nematodes
Which root stock should a grape grower choose if they have pests like root-knot nematodes? why? give an exampe?
Ramsey and Dog Ridge (both vitis champini) are tolerant of these pests
which rootstocks should grape growers choose if they have drought issues? why? give examples
rootsotcks that are **hybrids of V. rupestris and V. berlandieri (such as 110R or 140R)
these hybrid rootstocks take root deeply and quickly, so they find water source deeper in the soil
Which rootstock should a grape grower choose if they have issues with high salinity in the water (high levels of salt)? why? give an example
Rootstocks based on V berlandieri (like 1103) is tolerant of soils with higher salt
Which rootstock should a grape grower choose if they have issues with high rainfall? why? give an example
Rootstocks based on V riparia such as Riparia Gloire - tolerant of water-logged soil
Why is it useful to grape growers to plant both Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot more suspectible, Cabernet less suspectible to grey rot
Which roostock should a grape grower choose if they have highly acidic soils?
Hybrid rootstocks V rupestris and V berlandieri, like 99R and 110R
Which roostock should a grape grower choose if they have soils with high lime content
Rootstocks that are based on V. berlandieri, such as 41B
lime content is calcium based, alkaline
How can rootstock choice influence vine vigor
rootstocks can moderate or enhance vine vigor
What types of rootstock should a grape grower choose if they need to advance ripening in a cool climate? why? give example
low vigor rootstocks like those based on V riparia - 420A and 3309C
low vigor, more focus on grape ripening and not vegetative growth
Identify instances in which a grape grower might choose a rootstock that enhances vine vigor
- dry conditions
- infertile soils
- sparkling wine production
What types of rootstock should a grape grower choose if they are considering producing sparkling wines? why? give example
rootstock w/ high vigor as sparkling wines require high yields with delicate aromas and higher acid than lower yields of concentrated araomas, colors or tannins
higher yields - means more acidity b/c nutrients, water, sun spread over more grapes leading to less concentrated sugars. as sugar increases, malic and tataric acid decrease naturally
Why do grape growers remove inflorescences on new vines that are 2-3 years old?
so vine can focus its resources on vine growth not fruit (still establishing itself)
What is considered a young vine - how old?
Up to 5 years old
Why do young vines produce low yields?
their root system isn’t fully established
What is the optimal vine age for maxium yield?
vines 10-40 years old
At what vine age do growers see a decrease in yields? Why?
beyond 40 years old as vine vigor decreases
what’s defined as as very old vine
vines 50+ years old
In what instance do very old vines get replaced? wy?
for inexpensive, mid range priced wines which need med to high yields
Are older or younger vines associated with higher quality, well-balanced, greater concentration?
older vines
Why might older vines produced higher quality fruit
- vines better balanced and adpted to environment w/ age –> balance in wine
- resources shared among fewer grapes –> high concentration
- more old wood, bigger store of carbs –> helpful in early growing season and when they’re stressed
- vines have survived better than other vines over time b/c planted in most favourable locations, have always produced high quality fruit
What is grubbing?
digging vines out of the ground
True or False: Vines of younger age planted in suitable location is likely to produce better fruit than old vines in unsuitable location.
true
Term for old vine in French and Spanish
vieilles vignes, vinas viejas
