LO1 - Environmental influence and growing options

Question 1

What does each part of the grape provide winemakers?

Skin, Pulp, Seeds/Stems

Answer 1

Skin: Color, tanning, flavor

Pulp: Sugar, acid, water, flavor

Seeds and stems: Tannins

Question 2

What does a vine require to grow grapes?

Answer 2

• warmth
• sunlight
• water
• nutrients
• carbon dioxide

Question 3

What are the key stages of grape formation?

Answer 3

• flowering
• fruit set
• veraison (grapes change color)

Question 4

What are the key stages of grape ripening?

Answer 4

• unripe - high levels of acid, minimal sugar, unpleasantly herbaceous
• ripe - acid drops, sugar rises, herbaceous flavor decrease, signature flavors develop
• extra-ripe - (late harvest, raisined)

Question 5

How do grapes’ components, aromas an flavors change as a grape ripens?

Answer 5

Component: color changes, sugar rises, acid decreases, tannins ripen

Aromas/Flavors:
* white grapes - green fruit to stone fruit to tropical fruit
* black grapes - fresh fruit to cooked fruit

Question 6

How do climate and climatic influences impact the grape ripeness and quality?

Answer 6

Climate
Influences which grapes can be grown as also affects flavor characteristics
* Cool - 16.5 C (62F) and below
* Moderate - 16.5C to 18.5C (62F - 65F)
* Warm - 18.5C to 12C (65F-70F)

Climatic Influences
* Latitude - most vineyards 30 to 50 degrees N or S of equator
* Altitude - higher alt, cooler climate
* Mountains - protects form cold, wind, rain; extends growing season
* Slope and aspect - slope facing equator gives cooler climates more heat/light
* Soils - provides water and nutrients; stones can absord heat and make vineyard warmer (can help with ripening)
* Sea - moderating influence depending on climate; ie cools warm climates, warms cool climates
* Rivers - take longer to warm/cool than land, also reflect sunlight
* Air - moderating effect
Cloud - above ground level, blocks sunlight, slows down photosynthesis (and ripening) in warmer climates
Fog - at ground level, cools vineyard, moderates in coastal regions
* Mist - less dense fog, orm near rivers, needed for botrytis

Question 7

How does weather impact grape ripeness and qality?

drought, frost, hail, rain, temperature

Answer 7

• Drought - vines unable to ripen and may die
• Frost - can kill the vines new growth and reduce yield
• Hail - can damage vines and destroy crop
• Rain - prone to fungal disease, can also cause grapes to swell and dilute their flavors
• Temperature - wines may struggle to ripen in cooler weather, leaving acid too high/sugar too low and lack of signature aromas; wines in hot vintages can develop uncharacteristic dried-fruit aromas and be sunburnt, may not ripen if not enough water

Question 8

How does a grape ripeness impact wine style and quality?

extra ripe, botrytis, frozen grapes

Answer 8

Extra ripe grapes will have conentrated acidsa and sugars and dried fruit aromas; commonly used to make sweet wines

Botrytis/noble rot - fungus that can grow on grapes, tiny holes in skin cause water to evaporate, need misty mornings and dry afternoons, used to make sweet wines

Frozen grapes - sugar in concentrated, water in grape freezes, ice wines, sweet with concentrated pure varietal charactertistics

Question 9

What are the grape growing options on a vineyard?

Answer 9

• Training/Pruning - most vines trained on trelises, typically pruned in winter
• Irrigation - if lack of rainfall, can irrigate but used sparingly bc $$$
• Managing weeds, pests, disease - fungus can reduce quality and quantity of grapes, some use chemical sprays but many try to minimize
• Organic production - if certified organic then grown without the use of most chemicals, but some are still permitted
• Yield - amoutn of fruit produed per unit of area, max yields set in some areas, if yield is too high flavors can be diluted and lower level sof sugar
• Harvest - timing important choice, early in ripening then lower sugar/higher acide/less-ripe flavor, if later then higher sugar/lower acid/riper flavor, havested by hand or machine (not practical on steep slopes)

Question 10

What labelling is used to indicate origin and regulation in the EU?

Answer 10

PDO - Protected Designation of Origin - small areas with tight regulations

PGI - Protected Geographical Indication - wider areas and less strict regulations

Question 11

What is the difference between Geographical Indications (GIs) inside and outside the EU?

Answer 11

Outside the EU - indicate where the grapes used to make the wine were grown, growers can grow whatever they like with minimlal restrictions

Inside the EU - indicate where grapes are grown and extra regulations about what can be grown and how the wine should be made (the style of wine), divided into PDO and PGI

Question 12

What are the PDOs and PGIs in France?

Answer 12

PDO
AOP or AOC

PGI
IGP

Question 13

What are the PDOs and PGIs in Spain?

Answer 13

PDO
DO or DOCa

PGI
Vino de la Tierra

Question 14

What are the PDOs and PGIs in Italy?

Answer 14

PDO
DOC or DOCG

PGI
IGT

Question 15

What are the PDOs and PGIs in Germany?

Answer 15

PDO
Qualitatswein or Pradikatswein

PGI
Landwein

Question 16

What labelling terms relate to vine age?

Answer 16

Older vines produce smaller grapes, smaller crop means mroe concentrated and complex aromas

On some labels, “vielles vignes” (old vines)

Question 17

What term is used to label grapes that have not been harvested at the normal time but have been left on the vine and picked later?

Answer 17

Late Harvest
or Vendanges tardives