Vineyard Establishment Flashcards
Why is vineyard establishment so important? And, what factors should be considered at planning a vineyards
- Compromises or lack of planning during this stage (cost of time saving) may result in problems later in the life of the vineyard.
- A detailed site assessment should be carried out to determine the suitability of the land and decide on the steps that need to be taken before planting
- site selection, soil preparation, planting material should be carefully planned before establishing the vineyard
Explain why site selection is important during vineyard establishment
- Growing environment depends on the location of the vineyard
- Site selection is very important when determine were a vineyard could be planted
- Style, quality and price of the wine to be made will be a key influence on site selection, and vice versa
Site selection for high volume, inexpensive or mid-priced levels wines, give an example
High yields of healthy grapes need to be produced constantly, and relatively cheap
- Flat, warm site with a dry climate (Central Valley of Chili):
The fertile soils and plentiful warmth may lead to high yields of grapes, the dry climate will reduce the incidence of diseases (save spraying costs). And flat land will also allow mechanization, which in high volume wineries can be quicker and cheaper.
However; with high yields may come a lack of concentration in the grapes –> wine, and warm conditions may also lead to jammy aromas and a lack of freshness
Site selection for premium or super premium wines
The goals is to obtain healthy grapes of the optimum composition (levels of sugar, acidity, colour, tannins and aroma compounds) for the style of wine being made
Cool climates –> sites that maximize potential to ripen grapes –> aspects that receive enough sunshine –> Rheingau
Warm climates –> favor of relatively cool sites –> high altitude –> Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza –> exposed to sea breezes (Casablanca, Chile / Carneros, California) –> better balanced wines
Logistical, legal and cost factors that need to be considered when selecting a vineyard site
Price:
- Price of the land, Grand Cru is more expensive than land that qualifies for Vin de France
Location:
- Layout and topography may have cost implications, for example, a vineyard that sits in a frost pocket may produce less reliable yields and thus slower ROI, or may need more expensive frost protection. Or other sites that are susceptible to certain diseases or pests pose similar problems
Steep slopes:
- Unsuitable for mechanization, and labour can be expensive and hard to access in some regions
Irrigation:
- If irrigation is needed, the source of irrigation water and cost will need to be considered
Access/distance:
- Easy access of the vineyard site and distance from the winery should be considered to ensure that healthy grapes can be delivered tot the winery –> minimum risk of oxidation and microbial spoilage
Proximity:
- Proximity to towns/cities for labour, suppliers, cellar door customers, retail or distribution business may also be a key factor
ROI
To survive as a business, a producer must get a return on investment from selling the grapes, must or wine.
Therefore, if the vineyard site is expensive to buy, establish and manage, the producer must be confident that the quality of the grapes, must or wine produced on this site will sell for a price that will bring a return on investment
The idea of ‘Terroir’
A sense of place:
A wine shows characteristics that relate to the particular place in which the grapes are grown - climate, soil, aspect, elevation - This is the physical definition of terroir
Especially for marketing purposes, wines may claim to be directly influenced by the geological make-up of the soil, for example, the claim that he perceived chalkiness of the taste of Chardonnay is attributable to the vines being grown in chalky soils. Even though this direct connection is strongly contested by the scientific community
Although strongly associated with French and classic European wine regions, winemakers around the world are showing their interests in the different expressions of wines made from grapes in single vineyards or specific locations –> Percision Viticulture helps to make this possible
Explain why soil preparation is important at vineyard Establishment
- Grower needs to ensure the soil within the vineyard is suitable for vine planting and grape growing
- Main factors that need to be assessed are drainage, soil structure, mineral composition and the presence of pest and unwanted plants
- Repair any problems at this stage is easier than when the new vines are planted
Explain subsoiling
When the land has perviously been used for agriculture, a plough pan (an impervious layer of soil) may have formed from years of ploughs at the same depth and this may need to break down.
Promotes better drainage and make the soil easier to cultivate once the vineyard has been established
Uprooted vine plants and cover crops
- Old roots should be removed
- Roots must be burnt as they can otherwise cause disease.
Farmyard manure, compost and fertilizers
- May be applied to incites the levels of nutrients and organic matter of the soil
- Ploughing incorporates these additions into the soil
What are the key decisions for a winemaker on planting material in establishing a vineyard
- Grape variety and its clone and chose of rootstock
When choosing a grape variety the grape grower should consider the following six climatic factors
Time of budding:
- Early budding –> Chardonnay –> Risk from spring frost
- Late budding–> Riesling
Duration of the annual life-cycle:
- Early ripening –> Chard/PN –> Cool climates –> Ensuring ripening before wet/cool weather arrives
- Late ripening –> Mouverdre –> Warm/hot climates –> early ripening varieties would gain too much sugar and lose acidity too rapidly –> Unbalanced wines
Tolerance of drought:
- Grenache –> Able to withstand high level of water stress –> Hot/dry climates –> Southern Rhone / McLaren Vale
Resistance to disease:
- Some varieties are less susceptible to fungal diseases
- -> require less monitoring and treating in damp climates –> Cab Sauv less susceptible to grey rot than Merlot
- -> Useful blending partner is rainy Bordeaux
Winter hardiness:
- Vidal Blanc, Rielsing are relatively tolerant to very cold winter temperatures –> Ontario and Finger Lakes
Vigour:
- If vigour varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, are planted on fertile soils with plentiful water, it is likely that their vigour will need to be managed, to avoid excessive shoot growth
Ass well as climatic factors, choice of grape variety may also depend on the following factors
Style of wine:
- The characteristic of the grape should match the style of wine the producer want to make
- Low tanning fruity wines –> Gamay/Grenache
- High tannin wines –> Nebbiolo/Aglianico
Yield:
- When making an inexpensive wine, high yields are desired
- Grenache is a high yielding variety and suitable for this type of wine
Cost:
- Some varieties are more difficult, and more expensive.
- Pinot Noir is prone to disease and likely to need more spraying and monitoring
Law:
- Wine legalization (many EU countries) restricts what grape varies can be planted
- Prosecco –> must be made from Glera
Availability:
- In some regions their is a large range of choices, while in other regions certain varieties or close may not be available and sold out due to high demand
Market demand:
- To be commercially successful a producers must identify the demand and the route to market for the brand of wine they are going to produce and select the variety to plant accordingly
- For example, the success of Sauvignon Blanc. Producers can capitalize on such trends. A grape grower can cut the original vine ate the trunk and graft a bud from a new vine variety on top (head grafting).
- Benefit; with an established root system, the new vine variety can produce fruit suitable for wine making much more quickly than a brand new planting
- Disadvantage; Rootstock have been selected based on the original planting, and may not be equally suited to new variety
When choosing a rootstock the grape grower should consider the following four factors
The main reason for grafting is to protect the vine from phylloxera. However, a range of different rootstocks exist with varying characteristics.
Pests:
- Some rootstock are tolerant of root-knot nematodes
- Ramsey and Dog Ridge (Vitis champni)
Water:
- Hybrids of V. rupestris and V. berlandieri (110R or 140R) are highly tolerant to drought because of their ability to rood deeply and quickly
- Rootstocks such ad Riparia Gloire (V. riparia) are tolerant of water logged soils and so can be useful in regions with high rainfall and water retaining-soil
- Rootstocks based on V. berlandieri, like 1103 Paulsen are more tolerant to soils with higher levels of dissolved salt in the soil and may be used in areas with high levels of salt in the water
Soil pH:
- 99 R and 110R, both hybrids of V. rupestris and V. berlandieri, have high tolerance to acids soils
- 41B, V. berlandieri, tends to be tolerant of soils with high lime content (high pH)
Vigour:
- Low vigour rootstocks can enhance ripening 420A and 3309C (V. riparia), useful in cool climates
- High vigour rootstocks such as 140R (V. rupestris) can be useful if the grower wants to boost vine growth in areas with unfertile soils and dry conditions
