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
