Viticulture Flashcards
Learn about how grapes are grown, vineyard influences, topography, climate, and soil types.
Starting in the vineyard working outward, what are some of the factors that influence grape production?
- Geography (latitude, elevation, etc.)
- Climate
- Aspect (direction vineyards face)
- Soil
- Grapes (whether they’re allowed to be planted or if they suit the climate/soil)
- Viticultural practices
- Harvest
- Annual weather patterns (e.g. summer hail)
- Terroir
- Regional wine laws + regulations
- History of region’s grape growing + winemaking
What are some considerations that have to be made when establishing a new vineyard?
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Environmental and climate considerations
- location and aspect of proposed vineyard
- soil type/fertility, drainage, average sunlight/rain
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Trade and regional considerations
- how remote is the vineyard and how much does land cost?
- how much will it cost to find labor, buy barrels, manage the vineyard, etc.?
- what kind of wine does the owner want to make (large or small production)?
- what local or regional laws exist that would need to be followed?
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What grapes will do well here?
- which varieties suit the climate?
What is the difference between climate and weather?
Climate is what you expect; weather is what you get.
Climate is a region’s expected, daily average level of temperature, sunlight, warmth and rainfall over time (for example, Provence’s climate is warm or Mediterranean);
Weather is what happens day-to-day and what you see outside your window.
The majority of the world’s vineyards are located between which two of the earth’s latitudes?
30° - 50° north and south of the Equator in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
What are the differences between:
- Macroclimate
- Mesoclimate
- Microclimate
Macroclimate
- refers to the climate of a region, e.g. Burgundy;
Mesoclimate
- refers to the climate of a village, a cluster of vineyards on a slope, or a particular vineyard, e.g. the village of Puligny-Montrachet, the Grand Cru slope of Chablis, or the Bonnes Mares vineyard in Chambolle;
Microclimate
- refers to the climate of a single vineyard or even the climate within the vines and around the canopy, e.g. vines at the top of the hill vs. the bottom of the hill in Clos Saint-Jacques (Gevrey-Chambertin) or the terraces in Valtellina, Lombardy.
What are the 4 major climates of winegrowing regions?
- Continental
- Maritime
- Mediterranean
- High Desert
Define Continental climate and give an example.
A Continental climate is one that has climate extremes: hot summers and cold winters.
They tend to be interior regions.
Northern Rhône and Ribera del Duero are examples of Continental climates.
Define maritime climate and give an example.
Maritime climates are those that are influenced by large bodies of water and have warm summers and mild winters with rain falling year-round.
Bordeaux and Rías Baixas are examples of Maritime climates.
Define Mediterranean climate and give an example.
Mediterranean climates have very warm, dry summers and cool, rainy winters.
They’re usually near or around coastlines.
Southern Rhône and McLaren Vale are examples of Mediterranean climates.
Define High Desert climate and give an example.
High Desert climates are hot and arid, particularly during the day, with temperatures plummeting at night.
Leona Valley AVA in California and Cochise County, AZ are examples of High Desert climates.
What temperature descriptions are used to further characterize the 4 major climates?
- Cool
- Moderate
- Warm
- Hot
- Tropical/Humid
e.g. Mosel, Germany has a cool Continental climate; Elgin, South Africa has cool Maritime climate; and the Southern Rhône has a warm Mediterranean climate.
What are some factors that influence a region’s climate?
- Diurnal shifts
- How many hours of sunshine the region gets
- Weather threats
What is a diurnal shift?
The change in daytime high temperatures to nighttime low temperatures.
The shift can be just a few degrees, making the diurnal range small; or the shift can be huge, making the diurnal range large.
How does the diurnal shift affect grapes?
If the diurnal range is small, the grapes will ripen more quickly;
If the diurnal range is large, the grapes will ripen more slowly.
The ripening speed determines how balanced the accumulated sugar and acidity is within the grapes.
What is the range of minimum sunshine hours a vine needs during the growing season?
1200-1500 hours minimum, depending on the climate/region.
The average usually ends up being 1300 hours of sunlight.
What are some weather threats that can affect the health and general survival of a vineyard?
- Hail
- Frost
- Deep winter freezes
- Strong wind
How can hail affect a vineyard?
Hail damages vines by:
- perforating the leaves, rendering them unable to photosynthesize;
- puncturing or destroying berries, making them useless and decreasing that year’s yield;
- damaging the vine with small wounds, into which disease and rot can fester.
How does frost affect vines?
At what point in the vine’s annual cycle is frost most dangerous?
Frost is most dangerous at budburst (March/April in Northern Hempishere, Sept/Oct in Southern Hemisphere).
How frost affects the vine:
- it can delay budding and flowering (which means the grapes are at risk of not fully ripening);
- new plant material can freeze and die;
- spring frost can decrease the annual yield.
How does a deep freeze (either in the spring or winter) affect the vine?
If a freeze is severe, the vines are at risk of being killed.
How do strong winds affect vineyards?
Strong winds can:
- uproot vines
- blow them over
- blow off delicate flowers, which means no grapes will form
What are 2 geographical climate moderators?
- Bodies of water
- Mountains
What constitutes a body of water?
Bodies of water:
- Lakes
- Rivers
- Seas
- Oceans
How do bodies of water influence climate?
Bodies of water can help:
- cool a region
- warm a region
For example, cool Pacific Ocean breezes help moderate the warm temperatures of Sonoma Coast. Alternately, Lake Erie helps keep the Finger Lakes region warm in the autumn by releasing warmth it stored over the summer.
How do mountains influence climate?
Mountains can provide:
- Rain shadow
- Vineyards planted at higher elevation
- Wind/drafts that can have cooling or warming effects on vineyards
What is a rain shadow?
Give two mountain ranges that provide rain shadows.
A rain shadow is when mountains are at such a high altitude that they block the passage of rain clouds (read: bad weather gets stuck in the mountains) leaving the downwind side with more sunshine and lower cloud cover + precipitation.
The Cascade Mountains in Washington State and the Vosges Mountains in Alsace, France both provide rain shadows.
Temperatures drop by one degree for every ____ meters in elevation rise.
100 meters
Where are higher altitude vineyards typically found?
Why would a vineyard be planted at higher altitude?
Higher altitude vineyards are typically found in warmer/hotter regions.
Higher alitutudes provide vineyards cooler temperatures which help keep sugars and acidity in balance.
What are some beneficial effects of wind on a vineyard?
- helps prevent mold + rot by circulating air
- can cool a region, especially if the wind is coming from a cool body of water
- can warm a region, especially if the wind is coming from an arid area
What 3 topographical features can influence viticulture and climate?
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Altitude/elevation
- is the vineyard on a hillside or on the valley floor?
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Aspect
- which direction is the vineyard facing? Is it getting gentler morning sun or harsher afternoon sun?
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Proximity to body of water
- is there a body of water nearby to moderate temperatures or provide wind?
Steep hillsides are usually _____ fertile than valley floors.
Why?
less fertile
Hillsides experience more erosion than valley floors.
