D5: Vineyard Establishment Flashcards
Compromises or lack of planning when establishing a vineyard may…
…result in problems later in the life of the vineyard
Site selection: high volume, inexpensive or mid-level
EXAMPLE: Central Valley, Chile
- need consistency
- high yields of healthy grapes
- needs to be cheap
- flat, fertile site in warm climate
- warmth reduces risk of fungal disease so reduces cost of treatments/sprays and needing to sort grapes
- allow mechanisation so save on labour
NEGATIVES:
- lack of concentration due to high yields
- overly jammy aromas and lack of freshness
Site selection: premium or super-premium
- healthy, optimal composition grapes (sugar, acidity, colour, tannins, aroma compounds)
COOL CLIMATES: need to maximise sun exposure so grapes ripen well (e.g. Mosel or Rheingau)
WARM CLIMATES: may look for altitude in order to ensure balance (or other cooling influences) e.g. Lujan de Cujo or Casablanca
What 7 logistical, legal and cost factors need to be considered with site selection?
1) price of land within a desirable GI
2) location, layout and topography - can have cost implications if need to invest e.g. in frost prevention mechanisms or need to spray a lot due to pests
3) steep slopes - expensive for mechanisation and labour
4) irrigation
5) proximity to winery - how long to get grapes from vineyard to winery to prevent oxidation
6) proximity to towns/cities - labour, cellar door, supplies etc
7) country or EU specific regulations - need to ensure can get ROI which could be tricky depending on laws and regulations surrounding yields, grapes etc
What is terroir?
- no precise definition
physical definition:
- location of vines on slope/elevation
- soil type
- aspect
- drainage
- characteristics relating to particular place where grapes are grown
Human? - legal PDO boundaries e.g. planting densities, trellising
Does what the vine takes up from the soil affect the taste of the final wine?
- disputed theory
- strongly contested by scientists who argue that photosynthesis drives vine growth, aroma compounds are synthesised in the vine and grapes must further transform through fermentation
What is the impact of winemaking on terroir?
- overly zealous winemaking practices can obscure terroir
What five things might you need to assess and rectify in terms of soil to ensure that soil is suitable for planting and growing grapes?
- drainage
- mineral composition
- topography
- structure
- presence of pests
*easier to do this at the beginning before the vineyard is established
What does the soil structure influence?
- root penetration
- water drainage
- nutrient holding capacity
- workability
What do you need to remove before doing anything else in the vineyard and why?
- large rocks
- plough pan (through subsoiling)
- promotes better drainage
- makes soil easier to cultivate
- remove roots of other plants and burn them (to remove disease)
- need to adjust pH of soil (if necessary)
- e.g. if acidic (Beaujolais) lime can be spread and ploughed in
- may need more drastic landscaping work done to make it viable (e.g. terraces in Douro)
What is added to the soil to increase organic matter?
- manure
- compost
- fertiliser
*ploughing is used to incorporate this
How many grape varieties are available for commercial use?
- over 1000
What 12 things do you need to consider when choosing your planting matter?
1) TIME OF BUDDING (early budders more at risk of frost)
2) DURATION OF ANNUAL LIFE CYCLE (early ripeners (e.g. chard and PN) need cool climates to ensure reaches optimal ripeness. Late ripeners better suited to warm climates. Early ripeners would gain sugar and lose acidity too quickly in this environment)
3) DROUGHT TOLERANCE (want drought resistant grapes in dry climates)
4) DISEASE RESISTANCE (some varieties are less resistant to fungal disease which would make them unsuitable for certain climates)
5) WINTER HARDINESS (vidal and riesling are good in very harsh winter temperatures)
6) VIGOUR (need to manage high vigour grapes (e.g. SB) on fertile plains
7) STYLE: what type of wine does a producer want to make
8) YIELD: will depend on whether making expensive or inexpensive wines
9) COST: e.g. PN is very expensive to grow
10) LAW: EU regs restrict what grapes can be grown where
11) AVAILABILITY: need to follow strict quarantine rules when introducing new vines to countries. Some varieties may be sold out or not available
12) MARKET DEMAND: need to see demand and route to market. May have to head graft new varieties if not demand for old styles
Rootstocks have range of different characteristics.
Many are hybrids of two different species so can take advantage of come characteristics of both species
What four criteria would you base your choice of rootstocks on?
- pests
- water
- soil pH
- vigour
- base your decision on style e.g. might want high vigour rootstock for sparkling wine where high yield grapes with delicate aromas and high acidity
ROOTSTOCK CRITERIA
PESTS
- phylloxera tolerant
- some also tolerant of root-knot nematodes
* RAMSEY
* DOG RIDGE (vitis champini)
ROOTSTOCK CRITERIA
WATER
- drought-tolerant = hybrids of v. Rupestris and v. Berlandieri (100R or 140R) as can root quickly and deeply
- water-logged soil = v. Riparia - Riparia Gloire
- saline soil = v. berlandieri - 1003 Paulsen
ROOTSTOCK CRITERIA
SOIL PH
- can help alleviate problems where pH is too low or high
- acidic soils = 99R and 110R (hybrid of v. rupestris and v. berlandieri)
- high lime content = v. berlandieri - 41B
ROOTSTOCK CRITERIA
VIGOUR
- moderate or enhanced vigour of vine
- low vigour = 420A or 3309C (v. Riparia) good at advancing ripening which is good in a cool climate
- high vigour = 140R (v. Rupestris) good in areas where soils are infertile and very dry
What are the EU rules around vine age
Grapes from PDO wines cannot be harvested from vines younger than 4 years old
- growers can remove inflorescences during this period to help vine focus on growing
What are the differences in yields between young and old vines?
- young vine yields not that high (premium is 10 to 40 years)
- if making a prem wine then vines over 50 are fine (e.g. Eden Valley, Burgundy) but not good/too old if making high-volume or mid-range wine
- it is argued that older vines produce higher quality fruit/better balanced wines as:
- adapted to their environments better?
- lower yields = more concentration in grape
- store carbs better for the growing season and less stressed
- tend to be planted in higher quality areas
- old vines/vielles vigne/vinas viejas - unregulated term and varies between producers
