The Growing Environment Flashcards
What are the 5 things a vine needs to grow?
heat, sunlight, water, nutrients, and CO2
What is veraisan?
the change in color from green to blue/black, pink or golden brown of a grape
why does a vine need heat?
if it is too cold it will either not grow or it will struggle to survive
What is the process of photosynthesis?
when the vine uses sunlight to combine CO2 and water to produce glucose and oxygen
What occurs to a vine after photosynthesis?
the vines combines glucose with the nutrients it extracts from the soil to support its growth and most importantly ripen the grapes. Oxygen is lost through the leaves
What are the 6 factors affecting heat?
latitude, altitude, ocean currants, fog, soil and aspect
what is the latitudes that vineyards mostly lie between?
30-50 north and south of the equator
How does altitude affect vineyards in terms of heat?
as altitude increases temperatures decrease which allows places closer to the equator (northern Argentina) to be able to grow grapes
How do ocean current impact vineyards in terms of heat?
Major currents transport large volumes of warm or cold water across the surface of the ocean. This leads to localized warming or cooling in certain wine regions.
How does fog impact vineyards in terms of heat?
fog can help cool vineyards that may struggle to produce high quality grapes (ex. CA and Casablanca Valley in Chile)
How does color of soil impact vineyards in terms of heat?
soils that are dark in color or have a high stone and rock content absorb and reradiate more of the sun’s heat than lightly colored soils.
How does water content of soil impact vineyards in terms of heat?
soils with higher water content require more energy to warm up and conduct heat from the vine more quickly than dry soils - potentially delaying budburst
How does Aspect impact vineyards in terms of heat?
slopes that face the equator receive more heat and steeper slopes benefit even more from this affect
What is aspect?
The direction in which a slope faces
What is continentality?
the temperature difference between the coldest and hottest months
Areas close to large bodies of water have what level of continentality?
low - because they heat up more slowly causing less extremes
Areas that are further inland have what level of continentality?
high - because `land masses don’t take as long to heat up causing more extremes
what is diurnal range?
the difference between daytime and night time temperatures
What do cool nights do for grapes?
help to slow loss of aromas and acidity
What do warm nights do for grapes?
accelerate the ripening
What can reduce a diurnal range for a vineyard?
- bodies of water (seas, lakes, rivers) by providing cooling breezes during the day and keeping vineyards warm overnight
- cloud cover as temperature drops more quickly on clear nights and rise more slowly on cloudy days
Explain 3 reasons why winter is a temperature hazard for vineyards
- vines can be seriously damaged or killed if temps fall below -20C or
- if the winter is too mild the grapes may have more than one crop and could shorten the life of the vine or quality of the grape.
- Mild winters also increase the risk of pests surviving to attack the vines the following year
which part of the vine is most at risk to be damaged during the winter?
graft
What do spring frosts do to vines?
when cold air below 0 C collects near the ground it freezes any water vapor that is near the vine or on the ground. This can kill newly burst buds or young shoots.
What are 4 ways to protect from spring frosts?
- heaters
2 wind machines
3 sprinklers
4 thoughtful vineyard design
What happens to the growing season when there is a cold spring?
This shortens growing season not allowing the grapes enough time to ripen before autumn; crops can be smaller
What happens when there is an extremely hot summer?
all vine activity will slow and eventually stop even when there is enough water
Why does a vine need sunlight?
in order to produce photosynthesis which in turn produces glucose. The more glucose the more the grape ripens and grows. Flowers and fruit set also benefits from sunlight
How does latitude impact vineyards in term of sunlight?
day length is longer the further the vineyard is from the equator helping grapes to ripen (Riesling in Germany)
How do seas and lakes impact vineyards in terms of sunlight?
vineyards near seas and lakes experience more cloud cover. Also vineyards situated above rivers or lakes c an benefit from sunlight reflected from the water
How does aspect impact vineyards in terms of sunlight?
a slope’s aspect affects the amount of sunlight it receives and steeper slopes benefit more from this. Vineyards facing the equator receive more sunlight.
explain two sunlight hazards
- not enough sun - cloudy skies leading to less crops
2. too much sunlight causing sunburn leading to bitterness in the grapes
why does a vine need water?
for photosynthesis and to swell its grapes during ripening.
name three main irrigation techniques
drip irrigation
sprinklers
flood irrigation
what are three water hazards for vineyards?
- drought
- too much water
- hail
what is the definition of climate?
the annual pattern for a region of temperature, sunlight and rainfall averaged out over several years.
What is the temp range for a cool climate?
16.5 C and below
what is the temp range for a moderate climate?
16.5-18.5 C
what is the temp range for a warm climate?
18.5-21 C
what is the temp range for a hot climate?
exceeding 21 C
Describe a Continental climate
has the highest continentality characterized with short summers and a large rapid temp drop in autumn. they also have dry summers
name two cool continental climate regions
Chablis and Champagne
describe a maritime climate
characterized by cool to moderate temperatures and a low annual difference between the hottest and coldest month. Rainfall is evenly spread throughout the year. however the rainfall in the spring and summer can be harmful to flowering, fruit set and health of the grapes at harvest
name a maritime climate region
Bordeaux - cab Sauv
describe a Mediterranean Climate
low temp difference between hottest and coldest month but summers are warm and dry. hot temp leads to a fuller body wine, lower acidity, higher alcohol, and riper tannins
name name some places with a Mediterranean climate
CA, Chile, South Africa, SE Australia and across teh Mediterranean
what are the largest soil particles?
stone
what other particles besides stone are in soil?
tiny particles such as sand (largest) and clay (smallest)
What is humus?
its made up of decomposing plant and animal materials that are rich in plant nutrients and have excellent water retaining qualities
how is water stored in the soil?
by binding the clay particles or humus.
what happens if soil has too much clay
can easily become waterlogged
what happens with soil with sand and stone particles?
they do not hold water and facilitate water drainage
what is soil that has a mixture of sand and clay particles?
loam
what are the 3 most important nutrients for a vine?
nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium
what is a common symptom linked to lack of nutrients?
chlorosis
Describe Chlorosis
the leaves turn yellow and the vine’s ability to photosynthesize is restricted. (fertilizer can help prevent)
