Natural Factors in the Vineyard that Influence Wine

Question 1

How many main vine species are there in modern viticulture? Name them.

Answer 1

There are mainly two species used by vine growers :

1. Vitis vinifera (Main Eurasian species
2. North American Vine

Question 2

What are the criteria defining the variety from consumer’s point of view?

Answer 2

1. Color
2. Flavor

Question 3

What are the criteria is important in choosing the variety for a vine grower?

Answer 3

1. Budding time
2. Ripening conditions
3. Resistance to certain diseases

Question 4

Which methods are used to propogate a vine?

Answer 4

1. Cutting
2. Layering

Question 5

What is a clone?

Answer 5

Clone is a mutant vine having small differences from a vine with same genetic material.

Question 6

Name two clones of Pinot Noir, accepted as new varieties.

Answer 6

Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc

Question 7

What do the researchers looking for in developing new varieties?

Answer 7

1. Adaptation to certain climate
2. Adaptation to certain soil conditions
3. Improved resistance to diseases
4. Higher quality grapes
5. Higher quantitiy grapes

Question 8

What is the method in creating new variety? How does it happen?

Answer 8

Cross-fertilisation. Pollen from a male part of a flower of a vine is transfered to female part of the flower of a different vine and fertilisation occurs. The plant grown from the seeds of this fertilised grape will be a new vine with genetic material different than that of its parents.

Question 9

What is a crossing?

Answer 9

If a new vine is created from parent of same species, it is called crossing. Eg. a vine created from two Vitis vinifera parents.

Question 10

Name the parents of crossing Cabernet Sauvignon.

Answer 10

Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc

Question 11

Name the parents of crossing Müller Thurgau

Answer 11

Riesling and Madeleine Royale

Question 12

Name the parents of crossing Pinotage

Answer 12

Pinot Noir and Cinsault

Question 13

What is a hybrid? Name an example.

Answer 13

If a new vine is created from parent of different species, it is called hybrid. Vidal from Canada is an example.

Question 14

What are the four main parts of a vine?

Answer 14

1. Roots
2. Permanent wood
3. One-year-old wood
4. Green parts

Question 15

What is the green part of a vine?

Answer 15

The green part of a vine is particularly a shoot. On the shoot there are leaves, buds, tendrils and flowers or grapes.

Question 16

What is the one-year-old wood of a vine?

Answer 16

One-year-old wood is last year’s shoot. The buds on it will be the this year’s shoots. The long one with 8 to 20 buds is called a cane. The one with 2 or 3 buds is called a spur.

Question 17

What is the permanent wood?

Answer 17

Permanent wood is the wood with an age of more than one year. Its shape and whether or not having arms depends on the grower. Arms of the vine are called cordon.

Question 18

What is the function of the roots?

Answer 18

1. Absorbing water and nutrients from the soil
2. Anchoring the vine
3. Storing the carbohydrates to be used throughout the winter

Question 19

What is grafting?

Answer 19

Grafting is a technique used to join a Vitis vinifera variety onto a rootstock.

Question 20

What are the grafting methods used in vines?

Answer 20

Bench grafting, used to form new plantings.

Head grafting, used to change the variety of the existing vineyard.

Question 21

What are the benefits of using rootstocks?

Answer 21

1. Resistance to phylloxera.
2. Resistance to drought conditions.
3. Resistance to nematodes.

Question 22

What does a vine needs?

Answer 22

1. Heat (Warmth)
2. Sunlight
3. Water
4. Nutrients
5. Carbondioxide

Question 23

What is the minimum temperature for a vine to grow?

Answer 23

10^oC

Question 24

What are the factors affecting the heat?

Answer 24

1. Latitude
2. Altitude
3. Ocean currents
4. Fog
5. Soil
6. Aspect
7. Continentality and Diurnal Range

Question 25

Name the ocean current off Chile. How does it affects?

Answer 25

**The Humboldt Current** off **Chile** has a cooling effect.

Question 26

Name the ocean current off South Africa. How does it affects?

Answer 26

**The Benguela Current** off **South Africa** has a cooling effect.

Question 27

How does soil affect the heat?

Answer 27

Soils with darker color or content with higher amount of stones and rocks stores energy and dissipates at night. This affects ripening especially in cool climates. Soils with higher water content warms up lately. This can delay budburst.

Question 28

What are the hazards related to too high or too low temperature?

Answer 28

1. At temperatures below -20^oC vine is seriosly damaged or even killed. Especially the graft must be protected. 2. Warm winters cause the vine not to be dormant and give two crops. This shortens the life time of the vine and decreases the quality of the grapes. 3. Mild winters cause excessive population of insects and pests. 4. Spring frosts can kill the buds or shoots. 5. Cold temperatures cause delay in the bud burst. 6. Flowering and fruit set also badly affected from cold temperatures. 7. Too hot temperatures cause the vine slow down or stop even there is sufficient water.

Question 29

What are some of protection methods from spring frost?

Answer 29

1. Heaters 2. Wind machines 3. Sprinklers 4. Thoughtful vineyard design

Question 30

What are some methods of irrigation?

Answer 30

1. Drip 2. Sprinkler 3. Flood

Question 31

What happens to the in drought condition?

Answer 31

In drought conditions vine stops transpiration. Prolonged water shortage cause the vine suffer water stress. Photosynthesis stops, leaves wilt, grape fail to ripen. If drought continues further, vine weakens and die.

Question 32

What are the hazards caused by too much water?

Answer 32

If there is too much water, vine produce a lot of green part, causing less ripening of grapes. Also, too much green part cause too much shade, again lessens ripening. In extreme watered cases, roots become staurated and die. Extra rain can cause poor flowering and diseases such as rot and mildew. Too much rain close to harvest causes the flavors dilute.

Question 33

How the climate types are defined based on the average temperatures throughout the growing season?

Answer 33

* Cool climate : Average growing season temperature of below 16.5^oC. * Moderate climate : Average growing season temperature of between 16.5-18.5^oC. * Warm climate : Average growing season temperature of between 18.5-21.0^oC. * Hot climate : Average growing season temperature of higher than 21.0^oC.

Question 34

How the climates are defined according to the temperature variation throughout the year?

Answer 34

Continental climate : Highest difference between summer and winter temperatures. Short and dry summers with a significant temperature drop at autumn. Maritime climate : Low difference between summer and winter temperatures. Rainy throughout the year. Mediteranean climate : Hot and dry summers, mild and rainy winters.

Question 35

What are the three important nutrients come from the soil?

Answer 35

1. Nitrogen 2. Phosphorus 3. Potassium

Question 36

What is chlorosis?

Answer 36

Chlorosis is a common symptom caused by lack of nutrients. The leaves are turned to yellow and the vine's ability to photosynthesise is limited. Grape quality and quantity is reduced. Fertilisers can be a solution.

Question 37

Define the steps the yearly life cycle of a vine.

Answer 37

1. Dormacy in winter 2. Budburst in beginning of spring. 3. Early shoot and leaf growth. 4. Flowering and fruit set. 5. Veraison. 6. Berry ripening. 7. Harvest.