The Growing Environment

Question 1

What is the first sign of a ripening grape?

Answer 1

The change of color from green to blue/black, pink or golden depending on variety. This is called véraison.

Question 2

Name the 5 things a vine need in order to complete its annual cycle? Think photosynthesis.

Answer 2

• Heat
• Sunlight
• Water
• Nutrients
• Carbon dioxide

Question 3

Under which temperature is it too cold for a vine to grow?

Answer 3

Below 10C

Question 4

Between which latitudes are the most vineyards in the world located?

Answer 4

Between 30 to 50 degrees, North and South of the equator.

Question 5

What effect can an ocean current have on the growing environment for a vine?

Answer 5

• Warm ocean currents have a warming effect (example the Gulf Stream in north-west Europe.).
• Cool ocean currants have a cooling effect (example the Humboldt current off Chile and the Benguela current of South Africa)

Question 6

Why is fog an important factor in California and Casablanca Valley in Chile?

Answer 6

It keeps the temperature cool and constant.

Question 7

What effect does soil have on the growing environment for a vine?

Answer 7

• Dark or high stone and rock content absorb and radiate heat.

• Light color soil with lesser stone or rock content is cooler.

• Soils with too much water content require more energy to heat up and can delay bud burst.

Question 8

What is aspect?

Answer 8

The direction of which a slope faces.

Question 9

What is continentally?

Answer 9

The temperature difference between the coldest and the hottest months.
• Regions with high continentality have large differences in seasonal temperature.
• Regions with less continentality see less variation.

Question 10

What effects can lakes and large bodies of water have?

Answer 10

They heat up and cool down more slowly than land. Therefore;
• Warming in winter
• Cooling in summer

Question 11

What is diurnal range and what effects does it have?

Answer 11

The temperature difference between day and night.
• Cool nights helps the acidity and aromas. Warm night accelerate ripening.
• a Vinyard with large diurnal range can produce fresher and more aromatic wines.
• The proximity to lakes can reduce the diurnal range.

Question 12

1. At what temperature does a vine freeze and can potentially die?
2. What technique is used to prevent this?
3. What happens in subtropical climates?

Answer 12

1. Minus 20C
2. Earthing up. Covering the grafts in earth.
3. Mild winters will cause the vine not to have a dormant period. May produce more than one crop per year, life shortened and quality will suffer.

Question 13

1. When does spring frost occur?
2. What are the four main forms of protection?

Answer 13

1. At below 0C.
2. • Heaters
   • Wind machines (basically large fan)
   • Sprinklers (sprays water into vine preventing freeze)
   • Thoughtful vineyard design (slopes and vines trained high)

Question 14

Name two things that can happen if the temperature is cold in spring?

Answer 14

• Delayed budburst - shortens the growing season.

• Flowering and fruit set disrupted - resulting in smaller than average crop of grapes.

Question 15

What can happen with too hot temperatures & sunlight during summer?

Answer 15

• All vine activity will slow and eventually stop. Grapes will not ripen properly.

• Wild fires - cause Smokey and plastic like aromas.

• Intensely sunny conditions can cause the grapes to get sunburn and taste bitter.

Question 16

What does the process transpiration entail?

Answer 16

The vine gets water from the roots. The amount of water it needs is depending on the temperature. Water is then lost through evaporation from the vines leaves. (As it gets warmer the vine needs to take up more water from the soil to compensate)

Question 17

Why do grape growers sometimes limit the water supply for a vine?

Answer 17

The canopy is completed and they want the vine to focus on grape ripening instead of vegetation.

Question 18

What are the 3 types of irrigation techniques?

Answer 18

• Flood irrigation.(cheapest)
• Drip irrigation. (most optimal, individual)
• Sprinklers.

Question 19

Name 3 types of water hazards?

Answer 19

• Too much water
• Drought
• Hail

Question 20

1. What is the climate of a region defined as?
2. What is the weather of a region defined as?

Answer 20

1. The climate is the annual pattern of sunlight, rainfall and temperature averaged out over several years. (the climate can’t change from year to year)
2. The weather is the annual variation that happens relative to the climatic average. (some areas varies more than others for example Bordeaux)

Question 21

What are the 4 climate classifications and their average growing season temperatures?

Answer 21

• Cool climate has an average temp of 16.5C or below.

• Moderate climate has an average temp of 16.5C to 18.5C

• Warm climate has an average temp of 18.5C to 21C

• Hot climate has an average temp of 21C or above.

Question 22

What are the 3 climate categories and their characteristics?

Answer 22

• Continental - the greatest difference between coldest & hottest month. Usually short summer with big drop to autumn. Cool continental areas is at risk of spring frost.

• Maritime - cool to moderate temp and lowest difference between coldest & hottest month. (low continentality). Rainfall is evenly already across the year.

• Mediterranean - low temp difference between coldest & hottest month but tends to have long dry summers. Often coastal. Warmer & more sunlight than Maritime, leads to fuller body, riper tannins, higher alcohol and lower acidity.

Question 23

Soil sits above the underlying bedrock and may be a few centimeters to several meters deep. What part does soil play in grape growing?

Answer 23

• Provides water and nutrients
• The size and color matters
• The best soils contains sand and clay particles known as loam. (the best soil will depending on the climate, for example rainfall)

Question 24

What are the 3 most important nutrients for a vine?

Answer 24

• Nitrogen
• Phosphorus
• Potassium

Question 25

What is chlorosis and what causes it?

Answer 25

• Leaves turn yellow and has a hard time to photosynthesise.
• Lack of nutrients. (can be fixed with fertilizer)