Grape Growing, Viticulture & Terminology Flashcards
Fill in the blank:
The growing season begins for a vine in ______.
spring
Fill in the blank:
The growing season ends for a vine in ______.
autumn
Why do vines grow grapes?
So animals that eat the fruit will spread the grapes’ seeds.
Animals that eat grapes include deer and birds.
During which season are vines dormant?
Winter
Are most wines in the world made with European or North American vine species and what is the name of this species?
European vine species named Vitis vinifera.
Name some commonly found Vitis Vinifera varieties.
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Pinot Grigio
- Riesling
- Chardonnay
- Syrah
- Grenache
- Merlot
- Cabernet Sauvigon
Name the 4 major parts of a grape.
- Pulp
- Skin
- Seeds
- Stems
Which 3 parts of the grape produce tannins?
- Skins
- Seeds
- Stems
What flavor do tannins produce?
bitterness
What is the pulp of a grape mostly made up of?
water
Where does the sugar in grape juice come from?
pulp
The pulp is also composed of acids and flavor compounds.
What part of the grape do most red wines get their color from?
The skins of grapes
How many years can a vine live?
If it’s in a healthy environment, a vine can live more than 60 years and upwards of 100 years.
What are the 5 things a vine needs to remain alive and flourish?
- Sunlight
- Warmth
- Carbon dioxide
- Water
- Nutrients
What is the name of the process when a vine’s leaves take in CO2 gas from the air and its roots take up water and nutrients from the ground to produce sugar, or energy, for the vine to grow and ripen its grape?
photosynthesis
Photosynthesis cannot happen without sunlight.
List a vine’s annual cycle.
- Flowering: spring
- Fruit set: early summer
- Véraison: summer
- Ripening time: summer/late summer
- Harvest: late summer/early autumn
- Dormancy: winter
In which months does flowering happen in the northern and southern hemispheres?
- Northern hemisphere: May/June
- Southern hemisphere: November/December
Essentially, flowering happens in each hemisphere’s spring.
How are the flowers of grape vines pollinated?
By the wind
For flowers to turn into grapes, does each flower need to be pollinated or can just one flower in the cluster be pollinated?
Each flower must be pollinated in order to change into a grape.
When does fruit set happen and what happens during this process?
- Fruit set happens after pollination
- Once pollinated a flower develops seeds and starts to grow; it looks like a tiny green berry
- These berries will develop and turn into grapes
What is véraison and when does it occur?
Véraison is the onset of ripening which occurs mid-summer.
Red varieties turn from green to purple or black, and sugars increase while acidity levels decrease.