Vineyard management Flashcards
Which vineyard has the aspect to give it the highest amount of sun.
North facing slope in the northern hemisphere
South facing slope in the southern hemisphere
North facing slope in the Southern hemisphere
A flat vineyard at 50° Latitude.
North facing slope in the Southern hemisphere
List 3 geographical factors that can affect the amount of sunlight exposure in a wine region/vineyard.
Latitude - Day length greater further from Equator
Seas, Lakes and Rivers - Near large bodies of water more cloud cover. Centre of landmasses tend to be sunnier.
Aspect - steeper slopes can allow more exposure.
How does Phylloxera kill vulnerable vines?
It feeds on the roots of the vine allowing infections resulting in the vine dying.
The Picture Below is an example of what type of training?
Head Training.
A form of Vertical Shoot Positioning as suggested by the wire trellis.
See also Guyout, and Cane Pruning.
At what age are most vines replaced?
Identify a benefit and a disadvantage to using old vines.
Most replaced between 30~50 Years
Old vines produce higher quality fruit (more concentrated flavour) partly due to lower yield per vine.
Lower yield might not be cost efficient and older vines are more susceptible to disease.
What climate type is this?
High Continentality, low rainfall and a very sunny growing season.
Continental
Name 3 diseases that threaten vines and how they are controlled
Powdery and Downy mildew - Likes warm, humid. If affected grapes lose fruity flavour.
Powdery treated with sulfur based spray. Downy treated with Bordeaux mixture copper based spray. Can also be managed by canopy management to max air flow * More spraying in Maritime climates where there is more rainfall.
Grey rot - Likes damp. Taints flavours and colour loss in red grapes. Best managed by canopy management and not picking too late.
Describe the 2 most common vine training techniques:
(H… Trained; C…… Trained).
Which is suited to mechanisation?
Head training. Canes are selected from the head of the trunk and then either left to form a free standing bush, or attached to the wires (trellis) to form a Vertical Shoot Positioned vine. See also Replacement Cane Pruning.
Cordon training. The cordon is the permanent horizontal arms (cordons) from which spurs are selected for the buds - then canes to grow from.
The Cordon training allows for mechanisation (pruning and harvesting) as the vine is trellised in a more uniform structure.
What climate type is this?
Low to medium Contintality, low to medium rainfall and which takes place mainly in the winter, with a sunny growing season.
Mediterranean
Which of the following inputs to a vine will vary least from season to season?
CO2
Heat
Sunlight
Nutrients
CO2
Which is not a method of controlling yield in a typical growing season?
Green harvest
Winter pruning
Irrigation
Mechanical Harvesting
Mechanical Harvesting
List 3 countries where Phylloxera has not had an impact. … and why?
Chile, some parts of Argentina and South Australia. It hasn’t reached due either to strict quarantine procedures, inhospitable climates, or natural borders preventing the spread.
Why is vine bud management important?
The vine stores carbohydrates over Winter. If there are fewer buds each fruit producing cane may have access to too much energy and the canopy (shade) may grow too vigorously.
If too many buds, each will not have access to enough energy and the vine will struggle to ripen its crop load.
What are the 3 ways to grow grapes to reduce intense chemical usage?
Sustainable agriculture - Chemicals permitted but minimised by growers understanding life cycles of pests and introducing predators of the pests. Monitor weather to prevent pest or disease before it occurs.
Organic agriculture - Small doses of traditional treatments permitted only.
Biodynamic agriculture - Organic practices + philosophy and cosmology. Cycles of planets, moon and stars plus homeopathic treatments.
Put the growth cycle in order
Veraison, Budburst, Flowering, Fruit set, Ripening
Budburst, Flowering, Fruit set, Veraison, Ripening
Budburst, Flowering, Veraison, Fruit set, Ripening
Budburst, Veraison, Flowering, Fruit set, Ripening
Budburst, Flowering, Fruit set, Veraison, Ripening
How can VSP (Vertical Shoot Positioning) be used in hot, sunny climates and why would a grower choose to use this system?
The method is adapted so the tops of the shoots are not tied but allowed to flop over creating some shade in the canopy to protect fruit.
A grower may also choose this system to enable mechanical harvesting.
Frost flows in a similar way to
Ice
Water
Steam
Water
Describe the annual cycle of a vine in these seasons.
Spring
Late Spring / Early Summer
As Summer progresses
Late Summer / Early Autumn
Later in Autumn
Spring - Budburst, new shoots begin to grow
Late Spring - The vine flowers and small grapes form
Summer - Grapes grow but still hard in texture, high acid/low sugar
Late Summer/Early Autumn - Grapes ripen, sugar rises, acidity drops and flavours develop. Marked by grape colour change; véraison
Later in Autumn - Grapes harvested
In hills and mountains, as the altitude increases what happens to temperature?
It decreases
What are the vineyards 4 natural resources?
Temperature, sunlight, water, soil nutrients
Pinot Noir, as a grape variety, is known to randomly change. For example, in the past it has produced a grey version and was renamed Pinot Gris and a white grape version to become Pinot Blanc. All 3 grapes are related to each other and can be considered what?
Mutations (initially clones before the differences became too significant).
What is a Cordon?
The arms of a vine made up of 2+ year old wood. Restricted by pruning
Identify 4 main techniques for managing how a vine grows.
Training - consider harvesting types.
Pruning - winter vs summer pruning?
Trellising - how can climate influence this decision?
Planting density - consider role of competition.
What are day / night temperature changes known as?
The difference between day time and night time temperatures.
Eg, a wide diurnal range has a wide/large difference between day time and night time temperatures.
What 3 things should a grower consider when selecting a site for a new vineyard?
Environmental - Temp, rainfall, sunlight, soil fertility and drainage.Factors effect grape selection, planting density and trellising etc.
Business - Proximity to power and water, avail of labour, accessibility for machinery and cost of land.
Grape variety - Must suit climate and meet demand. In EU might be legal restrictions on types used.
What are the 3 main techniques for irrigation?
Drip - Computer controlled dripper for each vine - Expensive
Sprinklers - Also used for frost protection. Waste water and can create damp conditions promoting disease - Cheaper than Drip
Flood Irrigation - Cheapest where water is freely available. Only used on flat or gently sloping vineyards
What 5 ‘inputs’ does a vine need to survive?
Heat, Sunlight, Water, Nutrients, Carbon Dioxide
Name 4 vineyards pests and a method for how they can each be controlled.
Phylloxera- Use resistant rootstock
Nematodes (worms) - Use resistant rootstock and sanitise soil before re-planting.
Birds and mammals - Birds - Netting / Mammals - Fencing
Insects - Insecticides or Integrated pest management
What is Inflorescence?
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem.
Planting vine seeds will result in new vine varieties, therefore what 2 methods are used for generating more vines of the same variety?
a. A cutting (a section of vine shoot is planted and grows)
b. Layering (a section of vine is buried and, in time, takes root)
Which statement about soils is FALSE
- Light coloured soils reflect the suns energy and don’t radiate heat into the vineyard.
- Wet soils take longer to warm up and tend to cool the vine
- Rocky soils tend to absorb and radiate heat warming the vineyard.
- Rocky soils on slops near rivers tend to pull the water up a hill making vineyards wet and susceptible to frost
Rocky soils on slops near rivers tend to pull the water up a hill making vineyards wet and susceptible to frost
A Spur is what?
1 year old wood pruned often with 2~3 buds and is quite short.
How is American rootstock resistant to Phylloxera?
They clog the insects mouth with sticky sap and form a protective layer behind the feeding wound to prevent secondary infections
Identify 3 main considerations when deciding on planting density.
- Limited water - Low density allows vines to take limited water without competing against the roots of neighbouring vines.
- Low levels of nutrients and sufficient rainfall - Risk is vigorous vegetative growth rather than fruit. High density planting provides competition for resources to limit vegetative growth. Bud management is also important. High density and strict bud control common in Europe.
- High nutrients and sufficient rainfall - High density planting not enough so, instead, low density with vines with multiple cordons or canes.
What is ‘Coulure’?
When more flowers than normal fail to fertilise
When plants are photosynthesising what is the outcome?
Sugars are generated.