Natural factors in the vineyards Flashcards
Cabernet Sauvignon crossing
Cabernet Franc x Sauvignon Blanc
Examples of hybrids
Vidal (Canada)
Muller Thurgau crossing
Riesling x Madleine Royale
Pinotage crossing
Pinot Noir x Cinsault
Most important vine species
Vitis vinifera - main Eurasian specie. Used to make wines for thousands years
American vines - unattractive flavour but resistant to Phylloxera so widely used to produce root-stock for vitis vinifera grafting
How many buds are retained with spur pruning?
a) 2 – 3
b) 4 – 7
c) 8 - 20
a)
What is a clone?
a) Cross of 2 Vitis vinifera grapes
b) Genetic mutation of a parent grape
c) Cross of a Vitis vinifera grape and another Vitis species of grape
b)
Which part of the vine is a cordon?
a) New shoots
b) Arm of permanent wood
c) The buds
?
Water hazards in a vineyard do not include:
a) Drought
b) Excessive water
c) Cloud cover
c)
What is the Phylloxera?
Insect from North America that attacks vitis vinifera. It was accidentally introduced in Europe in the XIX century and destroyed all the vineyards
Where the is not Phylloxera?
Chile, some parts of Argentina and South Australia
Solutions to Phylloxera?
(i) In the IX century the only certain way to deal with it, it was to plant American species or hybrids
(ii) After the IX century the vitis vinifera is crafted onto the root stock of an American vine or hybrid
What is grafting?
Grafting is the technique used to join a root-stock to a vitis vinifera variety
Describe bench grafting
The v. vinifera and the root-stock variety are joined together by machine and stored in a warm environment to encourage the parts to fuse together
Describe head grafting
The existing vine is cut back to its trunk and a bud or a cutting of the new variety is grafted onto the trunk.
Used to switch to a different grape variety between seasons (3 years). It can allow the grower to quickly adjust to market demand
Describe crossing
Crossing is when a new variety is produced from two parents of the same species
Example: Muller Thurgau = Riesling x Madleine Royal
Describe hybrids
Hybrid is a vine whose parents come from two different wine species (e.g. Vidal, Canada). Hybrids are often used as rootstocks
What is a one-year-old wood?
Shoots turning into woody after the winter, in springs become one-year-old wood. It will only produce fruits on shoots that grow from buds that developed the previous year.
Every winter the vine is pruned and the one-year wood will be called (i) spur (ii) cane depending on the number of buds it is left with
Definition of permanent wood
Wood that is more than one-year-old. It is made up of the trunk and arms of the vine (where presents)
Define spur
A cane is a one-year-old wood short with 2-3 buds
Define cane
A cane is a one-year-old wood long with 8-20 buds
What a vine needs?
(i) Heat [sun reflected from soil]
(ii) Sunlight [sun, reflected from water
(iii) Water [rainfall, irrigation, water stored in soil]
(iv) CO2 [atmosphere]
(v) Nutrients [soil, humus, fertiliser]
What is photosynthesis?
A combination of sunlight with CO2 and water, to produce glucose and oxygen. Then the glucose is combined with the nutrients to enable grapes’ ripening and the oxygen is lost through the leaves.
Which factors affect heat?
Latitude Altitude Ocean currents Fog Soil Aspect Continentality Diurnal range
How latitude is affecting heat?
Most vineyards lie between the latitude of 30° and 50° north and south of the Equator
How altitude is affecting heat?
As altitude increases, temperatures drop. This means that regions at high altitude grow vines even though they are close to the Equator (i.e. Cafayate, in northern Argentina)
Why Ocean currents is affecting heat?
Currents transport large volumes of warm and cold water across the surface of the ocean leading to warming and cooling in some regions (i.e. for hot regions cooling: Humboldt Current off Chile, Benguela Current off South Africa, for cold regions warming Gulf Stream off north-west Europe)
Why fog is affecting heat?
Fog can help cool and area that otherwise struggle to produce high quality grapes (i.e. California, Casablanca Valley in Chile)
Why aspect is affecting heat?
The aspect is the direction in which a slope faces. Aspects facing the Equator receive the most heat. This is very important for (i) cool climates where the extra warmth for ripening (ii) steeper slopes (i.e. Mosel, Germany for both)
Why continentality is affecting heat?
The temperature difference between the coldest and the hottest months. Lower in areas close to large bodies of water. The continentality determines the length of the growing season with an impact on the total amount of heat available for the vine
Why diurnal range is affecting heat?
Diurnal range is the difference between day-time and night-time temperatures. During ripening: (i) cool nights help slow the loss of aromas and acidity [for war climate with fresh and aromatic wine] (ii) warm nights accelerate it.
Diurnal range can be influenced by: (i) proximity to water that enables warm (ii) level of clouds as temperature drops more quickly during clear night (increasing diurnal range)
What is continentality?
The temperature difference between the coldest and the hottest months
Main temperature hazards
Winter for: (i) temperature -20° that can damage the vine (ii) mild winter for no dormant period so the vine can produce more than one crop and larger population of insects
Main temperature hazards
Winter for: (i) temperature -20° that can damage the vine (prevented with ‘earthing up’ (ii) mild winter for no dormant period so the vine can produce more than one crop and larger population of insects
What is ‘earthing up’?
In case of cold winter with temperature -20° the vine can be damaged and be killed. Earth can be used to cover up and protect the graft, the part of the vine most at risk
Main temperature hazards
Winter for: (i) temperature -20°C that can damage the vine (prevented with ‘earthing up’ (ii) mild winter for no dormant period so the vine can produce more than one crop and larger population of insects
Main temperature hazards
Winter for: (i) temperature -20°C that can damage the vine (prevented with ‘earthing up’ (ii) mild winter for no dormant period so the vine can produce more than one crop and larger population of insects
Sprint frost that can freeze any water vapor settled in the ground and kill newly buds and shoots
Growing season for: (i) cold temperatures that bring smaller crop of grapes (ii) hot temperatures that can slow vine activity and impact ripening
What is spring frosts?
Cold air below 0°C freezing any water vapor settled in the ground. This kills newly buds and shoots
What is sprint frosts?
Cold air below 0°C freezing any water vapor settled in the ground. This kills newly buds and shoots
Sprint frost protections
(i) Heaters
(ii) Wind machines
(iii) Sprinklers
(iv) Thoughtful vineyards design
What are heaters?
Way to protect vineyards from spring frost by placing them throughout the vineyard. The heat generated creates movement in the air preventing the cold air from settling and causing frost
What are wind machines?
Large fan to protect vineyards from spring frost. Those bring warm air from the above to keep the temperature at the ground level above freezing
How sprinklers can be used?
(i) protect from spring frost to spray water that freezes and releases some heat into the plant tissue protecting buds and shoots
(ii) irrigate. Widely used and cheap but they waste a lot of water and can create damp conditions
How thoughtful vineyards design can reduce spring frost?
Cold air sinks to the lowest point it can find. So it is best to plant vineyards on slopes and avoid depression
Which factors affect sunlight?
(i) Latitude
(ii) Seas and lake
(iii) Aspect
Main sunlight hazards
(i) sunburn leading to bitter flavors in the grape skin to be managed with a vine canopy
Why latitude is affecting sunlight?
Day length during growing season is longer the further the vineyard is from the equator (i.e. Riesling in Germany)
Why seas and lake are affecting sunlight?
(i) large bodies tend to experience more cloud
ii) sunlight reflected from the surface of the water (rare
Why aspect is affecting sunlight?
Aspects facing the Equator receive the most sunlight. For vineyards closest to the Poles is important to maximize sunlight with aspect
What is transpiration?
The vine access water thr
Main water hazards
(i) Drought - water shortage that can stop transpiration
(ii) Too much water with less sugar for ripening grapes and increase of leaves with excess of canopy’s shade
(iii) Hail (i.e. Mendoza)
How vine canopy can influence water?
It limits the supply of water being beneficial for ripening. In these conditions the vine has enough water to keep photosynthesising but concentrates on grape rather than leaves
Main irrigation techniques
(i) Drip irrigation
(ii) Sprinklers
(iii) Flood irrigation
What is drip irrigation?
Each vine has his own dripper that can be computer controlled to ensure the optimum amount of water (the most and advanced technique)
What is flood irrigation?
Cheap but possible only possible with flat or gently sloping and with access to large quantities of water
List of factors that influence the climate of a vineyard
(i) Latitude
(ii) Altitude
(iii) Frost
(iv) Aspect
(v) Cooling
What can you use to protect vine from hail?
(i) netting (expensive) (ii) reduce the risk by owning several vineyards sites in different locations
When is the growing season in the Northern hemisphere?
April-October
When is the growing season in the Southern hemisphere?
October-April
Cool climates
Region with an average growing season temperature of 16.5°C or below
Moderate climates
Region with an average growing season temperature of 16.5°C to 18.5°C
Warm climates
Region with an average growing season temperature of 18.5°C to 21°C
Hot climates
Region with an average growing season temperature in excess of 21°C
Characteristics of Continental climate
(i) high continentality
(ii) short summers with large and rapid temperature drop in autumn
(iii) risk of spring frost (i.e. Chablis, Champagne)
(iv) dry summer (irrigation can be necessary)
Characteristics of Maritime climate
(i) low continentality
(iii) warm temperature for ripening during autumn
(ii) rainfall spread that moderate temperatures
(iv) harmful rainfall during summer and spring
(i. e. Bordeaux with thick-skinned Cabernet Sauvignon)
Characteristics of Mediterranean climate
(i) low continentality
(ii) warm and dry summer
(iii) compared to maritime wines have fuller body, riper tannins, higher alcohol and lower levels of acidity
(i. e. Mediterranean, California, Chile, South Eastern Australia)
How soil has a critical role in grape growing?
Soil supplies the vine with water and nutrients
Stone is made buy
(i) Stones, sands and clay
(ii) humus
(iii) water
(iv) nutrients
What is humus?
A component of soil made up of decomposing plant and animals materials with water retaining properties
What is the difference between stones, sands and clay?
The size of particles. Stones are the largest soil particles and are not always present in vineyard soil (stones on surface can help heat up a vineyard). The rest of the soil is made of sands (the largest) and clay (the smallest)
What is véraison?
The change of color of the grape from green to blue/black, pink or golden. This is the first sign of ripening. In the annual growth cycle is late summer / early autumn
The annual growth life-cycle
Winter: dormant, no green parts on the plant
Spring: new budburst and start of growing season
Summer: during late spring/early summer the vine flowers and small grapes form (fruit set). In late summer grapes start to ripen. This is the first sight of veraison
Autumn: after the grapes are harvested the vine drops his leaves and become dormant again
What is fruit set?
During late spring/early summer the vine flowers and small grapes form
What is loam?
A mixture of sand and clay particles (many best soils)
The most important nutrients
(i) nitrogen
(ii) phosphorus
(iii) potassium
What is chlorosis?
Lack of nutriments. The leaves turn yellow and the vine’s ability to photosynthesise is restricted
Why leaves can turn yellow?
Because of chlorosis
What are green parts?
(i) Tendrills
(ii) Buds
(iii) …
Which is the only country with 2 harvest_
Brazil
Minimum time of sunlight needed
1500h
Mimimum rains
700ml
What are nematodes?
a) A fungal disease that likes humid conditions
b) Microscopic worms that attach the roots of a vine
c) A root louse with a very complex life-cycle that can destroy the vine
b)
What is the definition of a continental climate?
a) Cool to moderate temperatures with low annual difference
b) Greatest difference between the hottest and coldest months
c) Low temperature difference between seasons with warm, dry summers
b)
What is limestone?
Limestone is a porous sedimentary rock. In vineyards, limestone present in soils can help with retaining water and proper drainage as well as contributing nutrients that make sweeter, superior grapes
