Soil to harvest, grape varieties Flashcards
Thomas Volney Munson
T.V. Munson, was a horticulturist and breeder of grapes in Texas.
Saved European vines from phylloxera.
Vitis vinefera
the species of grape from which most wines are made, native to Asia Minor, 10-14k named cultivars
Concord (Vitis labrusca)
Scuppernong (Vitis rotundifolia)
grape species native to eastern USA, where V. vinefera does not grow well in the cold or humid climates
grafting
scion
rootstock
Grafting is the process of taking a cutting, or a scion, from a vinefera variety and affixing it to a rootstock
vegetative growth
vine’s production of leaves and shoots
vegetative aroma
a green bean / bell pepper like aroma that is sometimes found in wines
heavy soil
high proportion of clay, great capacity to hold water, contains more nutrients
light soil
sandy, holds less water, lower in nutrients
loam
mix of clay, silt, sand, and organic matter, fertile, drains well
alluvial soil
lies in the floodplains that flank rivers and streams; mix of silt, sand, loam, and gravel
winterkill
the death of vine tissue from excessive cold
macroclimate
broad weather conditions of a particular wine-growing region
mesoclimate
local conditions that influence the weather in a particular vineyard or portion of a vineyard
microclimate
climatic conditions around a particular vine
terroir
French (full: gout de terroir), all environmental factors that nature imparts to a given vineyard Part of its concept is also matching the choice of variety and vineyard management to suit the terroir.
trellis
an architectural structure, usually made from an open framework or lattice of interwoven or intersecting pieces of wood, bamboo or metal that is normally made to support and display climbing plants
hl/ha
hectoliters/hectare European unit for a vineyard’s yield, expressed in terms of the quantity of wine produced per hectare
dormancy
Grapevines are deciduous. They lose leaves in the fall and go dormant during the winter months. When dormant, the shoots harden and become woody in texture; there’s no green tissue on the vine, no photosynthesis, making it more tolerant of the cold.
bloom
flower clusters that look like mini grape clusters, located at the base of young shoots self-polination 8 wks after bud break
shatter
Once fertilized, a grape flower will begin to develop into a berry. If a flower is not fertilized, it will drop off the cluster, in a process called shatter. Hot weather or rain can increase the chance of shatter.
leaf pulling
In vigorous vineyards, some of the leaves at the base of the shoots are removed to allow for more air and sun light.
véraison
at véraison, the berries swell and begin to change color, develop sugar 6-10 wks after véraison, ready for harvest official definition “change of color of the grape berries”
canes
After winter dormancy, shoots that grew out in the sprint are mature and wood-like in appearance, and are called canes.
pruning
After a vine is established, pruning removes almost all the new growth from the previous year. Ea. bud left on the vine will produce a new shoot in the spring that will have 1-3 clusters on it, and the amount of next yr’s crop is determined by the # of buds
cordons
With spur pruning, the vine is grown w. permanent arms or cordons that have spurs located ab every 6-8 inches along their length. (Fig. 2.19)
Fighting varietal
a term that originated in California during the mid-1980s to refer to any inexpensive cork-finished varietal wine in a 1.5 liter bottle
Barbera
Region III; native to Piedmont, Italy (3rd most planted in Italy, after Sangiovese and Montepulciano)
deep color, low tannin, high acid, fresh berries and cherry, often oak aging;
ITA (Piedmont), USA, ARG, AUS
varietals, Barbera d’Alba, Barbera d’Asti, Barbera del Monferrato
