Viticulture Flashcards
Pros and cons of Vitis Vinifera
Pros
High Sugar Content
High level of acids
large concentration of tannins
complex flavors
minimal nutritional requirements
Self-pollinates
Cons
susceptible to pests and diseases
prone to mutation
degrade quickly after harvest
sensitive to extremes of climate
Weak structure is easily damaged
Where does Vitis vinifera grow best
Between 30th and 50th parallels
What is the anatomy of the Vitis vinifera vine
Canopy
Grape clusters/bunches
Flowers
Leaves
Shoots
Canes
Cordons
Head
Trunk
Rootstock
What is the canopy
The vine’s leaves and shoots
- Shade grapes
- maximize leaf exposure to sun
- allow air circulation
What is the grape cluster/bunches
The mature fruit of the grapevine in groupings
What is the flower
Emerge in spring and form groupings on shoots. They become the grapes
What are the leaves
capture energy from sun (photosynthesis)
What are shoots
branches that come off the head and cordons of the vine
What are canes
the are shoots that after harvest turn hard and woody
What are cordons
Permenant branches of the vine
What is a head
The top of the vine where the cordons originate or shoots can form
What is the trunk
The straight part of the vine that emerges from the rootstock and becomes the head
What is the rootstock
the portion of the vine that extends into the ground and pulls water, nutrients and minerals out of the soil. Usually not Vitis Vinifera
How are varietals formed
Mutation - DNA changes
Cross - pollen of one varietal is used to pollinate another varietal
Hybrid - Similar to cross but parents are different but related species
Clones - a exact DNA copy of another vine
What is clonal selection
Selecting the best genetic material avalable for the varietal
What is the seasonal cycle of the vine
Dormancy - Winter
Bud Break - Spring
Flowering - Spring
Fruit Set - Spring
Ripening - Summer
Maturity - End of summer/beginning of fall
What is dormancy
No outward signs of growth or life
What is Bud Break
period when buds begin to form on head or the cordons of a vine.
Happens in spring
What is Flowering
After bud break begins, tender green tendrils grow off of the shoots to form panicle
What is panicle
A branched cluster of small flowers
What is Fruit Set
Occurs in late spring when each individual flower becomes a small grape. The are hard, tiny and green.
Low sugar and high acid
What is ripening
The process through which the grapes grow larger, gain sugar, flavor compounds and water. Determined primarily by climate conditions.
Affects 3 of major characteristics:
Acidity lessening
Increase in sugar
Thickening of juice (cause heavier wine)
What is veraison
Occurs about 1 month after fruit set
Color of grape changes and turns red for varietals with pigment and grapes soften
What is hang time
The period of time the grapes are kept on the vine to ripen
How is a grape ripened in a cooler climate be different than one ripened in a warmer climate
Higher acid
Lower alcohol
Less body
What is maturity
The time when a grape is ready for harvest.
As seeds become reproductive, flavors develop, pigments darken and tannins mature and begin to soften.
What is a vintage
The year the grapes were grown and harvested.
What does it mean to propagate
To grow a vine from a seed
How does grafting work
a cutting from your desired wine grape is acquired from a mother vine and then using a v-cut is attached to the rootstock of a non vitis vinifera grape vine
What are bench grafted vines
Vines established in grapevine nurseries
What is trellising
establishing the cordons on wires and causing the T shaped vines
What is canopy management
pruning the canopy to allow proper sun exposure
What is biodynamics
Conducting vineyard activities (harvesting, pruning, etc) around phases of the moon
Why do vineyards stress the vines
Encourage the vine to grow less grapes with more highly concentrated flavors
What are ways to stress vines
Dry farming
Old vines
green harvest
What is dry farming
To not irrigate. All moisture from environment
What is green harvest
Cutting off a percentage of the vines grapes when they are first forming.
What are weather influences on grapes
rainfall
Wind
Fog and cloud cover
daytime vs nighttime temps
What does diurnal temperature mean
The combination of warm days (develop sugar content and flavor concentration) and cool nights (promote balanced acidity)
What are components of soil type and composition
Drainage
Fertility
Physical Makeup
Surface effects
what are the components of terrain
orientation
Elevation
Low-lying areas
bodies of water (temperature effects)
