Grape Growing Flashcards
Parts of a grape
Skin -
colour, tannins (antioxidant), flavours
Pulp -
water, sugar, acid, flavours
Seeds & Stems -
Tannins
What environmental factors does a vine need to thrive?
water, C02, warmth, nutrients (from soil)
Photosynthesis basic equation
water + C02 + sunlight —–> sugar
Grape formation & ripening
Flowering (self-pollination) > Fruit set (hard, green , sour bulbs), veraison (green to red/black/purpke) > ripe grapes (acidity drops and sugar increases, tannins up, flavours shift the longer grapes ripen in a given climate)
Growing environment - COOL climate features
16.5C or below
(Wines - less alcohol, tannins, lighter body, more acidity)
Moderate growing climate
16.5C to 18.5C
Warm growing climate
18.5C to 21C
(Wines - more alcohol, tannins, fuller body, less acidity)
Latitude influence on growing climate
Most vineyards globally are locate between 30 to 50 degrees NORTH or SOUTH of the equator.
Too hot close to equator
Altitude -
temps drop higher up = cooler growing climate even if at same latitude as another vineyard
Coastal vineyards -
warming or cooling influence of ocean currents/winds.
I.e. South Africa - cooling antarctic ocean currents /
Europe - warming Caribbean currents crossing Atlantic
Rivers, slopes and aspect impact on growing
Rivers -
take longer to warm up/cool down so can moderate impact on vineyard.
Warmth in autumn, reflect sunlight back onto vines, protect against frost
Slope -
incline of the land the vineyard
Aspect -
facing north/south. If sunlight limited, then facing south to maximise exposure is key i.e. sparkling wine vineyards in Surrey/South Downs
Cloud, fog & mist positive impacts on growing
Water vapour in the air
Clouds -
above ground level can block some sunlight - i.e. good in v warm climates v i.e. Aus
Fog -
cools down vineyards i.e. to moderate coastal regions i.e. Cali, Chile
Mist -
Essential for botritus/ ‘noble rot’, in particular for sweet wine production
Mountains, soils
Mountians - rain, wind/cloud, sun protection i.e. Alsace, France
Soils -
Provides the water & nutrients for growing.
Water retention - Some can be better at this which aids ripening
Very stony - can hold warmth better &
Air -
Warm coastal winds, cool down vineyard i.e. Pacific on Cali vineyards
Cold mountain air - can fall down to lower altitudes to cool vineyards at night
Weather influence on wines & vintages (year)
Day - to day sunlight, water
Vintage variations - i.e. wines from one year to another.
Especially matters in prestigious regions i.e. Bordeux
Weather influence - A hot vintage problems on wine
Grapes can overrippen - leads to dried fruit aromas
Excess heat/sunlight -
leads to sunburnt grapes. Decreases yield of a vine
Drought -
caused by prolonged period of below average rainfall. (due to higher overall climate temperatures)
Irrigation can help, but water table may not be plentiful enough.
Too much rainfall -
Fungal disease flourishes from excess air moisture
Too little -
Vine shut down, stop growing or dies.
Hail -
physical vine/grape damage, hard tp predict when it occurs
Too cold vs typical climate weather -
Struggle to ripen
Acid levels high, sugar level low - Grapes struggle to reach typical flavour characteristics
Wine made in the same year but produced in the South will technically be older or younger than one grown in the North by how long
6 months older if grown in the South vs North in the same year i.e. NZ vs France 2018
What are the key vineyard activities
Training & pruning -
of vines/trellis
Spraying -
of fungicides, pesticides, herbicides. For weeds, pests & diseases (organic - no synthetic sprays)
Yield -
No. of grapes produced per unit of area.
Balance of quality/quantity
Irrigation -
of water where rainfall is lacking.
Harvesting -
Timing is key to get right sugar/acid/flavour & tannins
Hand picked or machine (no machine on steep slopes)
Vine age (Old Vine)
Older vines produce smaller yields of grapes. More concentrated and complex aromas = higher quality wines.
French for old vine - ‘Vielles Vignes’.
Sometimes found on bottle label
‘Late Harvest’ label & why?
Harvestes much later than usual i.e. autumn/winter.
Creates riper flavours & higher sugar levels. More full bodied & concentrated. Can be dry, off dry, medium or sweet
Botrytis / Noble Rot
Botrytis - type of fungus leading to noble rot.
Punctures holes in grapes, releasing water but concentrating sugars & acids.
Used for sweet wines.
Icewine/Eiswein
Grapes left to freeze on vine in winter before harvesting.
Water in grapes are frozen when pressed = grape juice that is very concentrated in sugar/acid.
Used to make sweet wines.
