Module 3: Chapter 4 - Viticulture Flashcards
Term for the portion of the vine that includes branches, leaves, and fruit.*
Canopy
Term used for the process where an unrooted cutting is inserted into the trunk of an existing vine.*
Field grafting.
Ideal degrees of latitude for commercial viticulture.*
Between 30 and 50 degrees.
Ideal conditions for flowering.*
Warm and dry. (Rain or wind can hinder fertilization.)
Term used for the transition from flower to berry.*
Berry set, or fruit set.
Condition where many flowers do not develop into grapes.*
Coulure (“Shatter”)
Abnormal fruit set resulting in many small, seedless berries in the grape bunches.*
Millerandage
The onset of the ripening of berries.*
Veraison
Typical time from bud break to harvest.*
140 to 160 days. (As short as 110, as long as 200)
The process by which sunlight is used by the vine to create sugar.*
Photosynthesis
Process by which water evaporates through the openings in the vine’s leaves.*
Transpiration
Process by which sugars are broken down and used by the vine as energy.*
Respiration
Process by which materials are moved from one area of the plant to another.*
Translocation
French term for the combined natural factors of a vineyard.*
Terroir
Root-eating louse that almost killed off the great vineyards of Europe (and then the world).*
Phylloxera. (Thanks, USA)
Type of vine-training that does not use a trellis system.*
Head training or Bush training
Type of vine training where vines are trained up a tall support.*
Pergola. Occasionally pergola-trained vines grow up trees.
Type of cane-pruned vine training system using one cane from each vine, each trained in the same direction.*
Guyot
Type of spur-trained vine system with branches from each vine trained along a wire.*
Cordon
Philosophy of viticulture often credited to Rudolf Steiner.*
Biodynamics
How much fruit is produced by viticulture globally?
70 million tons of fruit, of which 70% (49 million tons) goes into making wine.
What is viticulture? Is it different from winemaking?
Viticulture is the term for the intentional cultivation of grapevines. Though often used synonymously with winegrowing, viticulture applies to the growing of table grapes, juice grapes, and raisins as well.
What is the trunk?
A single pillar that connects the underground root system to the aboveground structure of branches, shoots, and leaves. The root system continues to grow throughout the life of the vine, making an elaborate network far larger than the visible plant.
What are the one or two branches extending off of the trunk called?
Arms. They begin as spurs, that then develop into young, thin canes.
What are cordons?
Cordons are the older, thicker arms that developed from canes. New canes will grow off of the cordons from year to year, and be pruned back after harvest.
What is the canopy?
The entire portion of the vine, including the fruit and leaves, growing from the arms.
What is ripeness?
When the pulp is near maximum sweetness, and the grape seeds are mature.
Why is natural propagation not used in commercial viticulture?
It is tedious and unpredictable, taking a long time to grow a plant from a seed, with a high failure rate.
What is cloning?
A primary method of commercial grapevine propagation. By taking a small cutting from the cane of a healthy grapevine with desirable characteristics, placing in water until a root system begins, then planting it in the vineyard, a genetically identical clone of the original plant is created. This is more efficient and consistent than planting seeds.
What is field grafting?
The use of an existing healthy root system (in a planted field, for example) by removing the existing branches, making a small incision in the trunk, and inserting an unrooted cutting from a desirable vine. The rootstock heals at the incision site, and the cutting will grow with access to the existing root network.
Do newly planted vines produce fruit right away?
Yes, newly planted or grafted vines produce fruit. However, those clusters are generally viewed as substandard and removed to allow the vine to use energy for trunk and shoot development.
What is ‘third leaf’?
The third harvest of grapes from a given vine, and the first to be used for wine. Optimal quality begins at year 6 and lasts for a decade or more.
When do vines begin to produce fewer grape clusters and leaves?
After roughly 20 years. The quality of the grapes continues to rise, however, and these OLD VINE grapes are very desirable.
Is the term “old vine” regulated?
No, but many of the vines given the designation are more than fifty years old. Some vines continue producing small amounts of quality grapes at 100 years old or more.
Why is the 30-50 degree belt the optimal latitude for Winegrowing?
Warm-to-hot days in summer, cool-to-cold days in winter.
What is the weeping?
When ground temperatures begin to rise above 50F and sap begins to flow upward from the trunk and out to the tips of the canes. Only lasts for a day or two.
What is it called when tiny shoots appear from nodes in the vine’s branches, following the weeping?
Bud Break
Why is bud break a hazardous time?
Especially in cooler climates, the new growth is very vulnerable to temperature extremes, and a late frost can seriously damage the vines at this stage.
Why is the development of leaves important, annually?
Leaf development allows for photosynthesis, accelerating the pace of new growth. Prior to this, growth is slow as the vine is using carbohydrate reserves from the previous year.
What is flowering, and when does it happen?
Flowering occurs when tiny flowers appear at intervals along the new shoots, 40-80 days after bud break. Each flower that is fertilized becomes the base for a grape.
Are bees and insects necessary for fertilizing the flowers on a grapevine?
No. Vinifera vines are self-pollinating. The breeze blows pollen from one part of the plant to another.
What is the ideal weather during flowering?
Warm and dry. Too much wind or rain and the pollen doesn’t reach the flowers, resulting in fewer viable grapes and a smaller crop.
How long from fruit set to the grapes reaching their mature size of 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch in diameter?
Roughly three months. They start out small, hard, dull, green in color, and highly acidic/low in sugar.