Chapter 5 - Vineyard Establishment Flashcards
Site selection for high volume, cheap wine
Need: high yields of healthy grapes consistently and relatively cheaply
Flat, fertile site
Warm, dry climate (ie Central Valley)
Allowed to irrigate
Why flat? Mechanism
Why dry? Less disease risk
Site selection for premium wines
Need: obtaining healthy grapes of the optimum composition (sugar, acid, tannin, aroma compounds, color)
In cool climates:
Slope, appropriate aspect
Near body of water
In warm climate:
High altitude
Near oceanic winds
Non-natural resource factors for site selection:
- Price of land in high value GI’s (ie Grand Cru vineyards)
- Location, layout, topography of the site (ie greater frost risk, greater disease risk)
- Steep slopes are not suited for mechanization and labor is expensive, slower
- If irrigation required, source of water and cost
- Ease of access to the vineyard site and distance to the winery
- Proximity to towns and cities for labor, supplies, D2C business, distribution business
- Wine region laws; if you don’t follow them, is the declassified wine going to fetch the same price?
Main factors growers assess during soil preparation
Drainage and soil structure
Mineral composition
Presence of pesets or unwanted plants
Topography of hte vyd
How does soil structure impact the vineyard?
Impacts root penetration, water drainage, nutrient holding capapcity, and workability
What are some of the things you can do to improve the following soil factors:
Drainage and soil structure
Remove large rocks at the surface
Subsoiling - removing the plough pan if land had been previously used for agriculture and an impervious layer of soil has formed
What are some of the things you can do to improve the following soil factors:
Mineral composition
Applying Farmyard manure, compost, and fertilizers and ploughing to increase nutrients adn organic matter
Adjusting for pH - ie applying lime and ploughing in acidic soils
What are some of the things you can do to improve the following soil factors:
Mineral composition
Applying Farmyard manure, compost, and fertilizers and ploughing to increase nutrients adn organic matter
What are some of the things you can do to improve the following soil factors:
Presence of pests or unwanted plants
Remove and burn old vines to be rid of dissease potential
Use systemic herbicide if weeds are a problem
What are some of the things you can do to improve the following soil factors:
Topography of hte vyd
Terraces may need to be constructed for steep slopes
Climatic factors to consider when considering which grape varietal to plant
- Time of budding - spring frost risk?
- Duration of annual life-cycle - late or early ripening?
- Tolerance of drought
- Resistance to disease - esp in damp conditions ie Cab is less susceptibel to grey rot than Merlot
- Winter hardiness
- Vigor - SB is a very vigorous plant. If you plant it in fertile soils with plenty of water, excessive shoot growth will need to be carefully managed
Non-climatic factors to consider when choosing what varietals to plant
- Style of wine desired - tannin level?
- Yield
- Cost -PN is expensive bc it is prone to disease
- Law
- Availability - what is commercially available in the region? Is it worth it to introduce a new varietal and go thru quarantine protocol?
- Market Demand - ie. Do people want SB grown in your area? You can head or top graft onto existing root system if you want to grow a different varietal
3 considerations for planting material:
Grape Varietal
Clone
Rootstock
Factors to consider when choosing what rootstock to use
- Pests Phylloxera and others? Maybe root-knot nematodes
- Water - drought, water-log prone, high levels of dissolved salt
- Soil pH
- Vigor - low vigor can advance ripening (good for cool climates)
High vigor can boost vine growth and yields (if land is unfertile and dry)
Can also make decision based on style of wine to be produced (sparkling would want high vigor rootstock where high yeilds of grapes with delicate aromas and high acidity is desired)
Rootstock tolerant of root-knot nematodes
Ramsey and Dog Ridge
