Viticulture Flashcards
What are the Factors of Production
Location
Climate
Topography
Soil
Grape Varieties planted
Viticultural practices
Vinification practices
Harvest
Yearly weather
Terroir
Regional wine laws
Historical Background
What are the factors of Location
Site Selection
Goals of Winery
Regional Laws
Financial Constraints
What are the Factors of Climate
30-50 degree latitudinal zones
Descriptions of climate- Macro, Meso, Micro
Definers of climate- Weather patterns
Name 4 Climate definition Types
Continental
Maritime
Mediterranean
High Desert
How would you describe a Continental Climate
Strong annual variation of temperature
Lack of significant bodies of water that moderate
Hotter summers
Cold winters that could be extreme
How would you describe a Maritime Climate
Influenced by a large body of water such as sea or ocean
Marked with mild temperature that can fluctuate
Higher threshold of vintage variation
How would describe a Mediterranean Climate
Summers are hot and dry
If coastal, summer are mild due to proximity to cold water currents
Prone to storms from cold water currents
How would you describe a High Desert climate
Summer are hot and dry
Daytime temperatures high but drastically drop in the evening
Names 6 factors that affect climate
Diurnal shift
Sunshine hours
Threats: forces of nature (below)
Frost
Hail
Strong winds
What is Diurnal Shift
Difference in average daytime high temp and nighttime low temp
What are sunshine hours
Hours a vineyard received over a growing season
What are potential threats to a vineyard
Frost or freeze
Hail
Strong winds
Why is hail a threat
Can shatter grapes on the vine
Why are strong winds a threat
Strong winds can blow over vines preventing grapes from growing
What is important about climate moderators
They can either cool down or warm up a region
Name 5 major climate moderators
Bodies of water
Mountains
Altitude/elevation
Wind
Name three variations of bodies of water
River
Lake
Oceans
Why are mountains important?
They protect regions
What is the importance of rain shadows?
They can block whole weather patterns allowing region to be protected
What is important about altitude?
With every hundred meters 1° of temperature drops
What does altitude provide for hot growing regions?
Prolongs grape growing season and provides balance for wines
What is the importance of wind within a vineyard?
coming from a cool region, can moderate with cold air blowing through and cooling region
Coming from a warm region can moderate with warm drier air preventing mold and rot
What are common topographical features that moderate vineyards
Local elevation
Hillside/valley floor
Directional aspect
Proximity to water
What is the major difference between planting a vineyard on slope vs valley floor?
Drainage
What is a benefit to planting on a hillside?
Better drainage of soil
Lower chance of frost
What is a disadvantage to planting a vineyard on the slope or hillside?
Less fertile soil due to erosion
Harder period of harvest and maintenance during growing season
What is an advantage of planting on valley floor
Pooling air
Soil fertility
What are the disadvantages of planting within a valley floor?
Hyperactive soil fertility
Prone to frost
What are the most important things about soil types
Drainage of water
Water retention
Sun reflection
What are the 8 main and common soil types
Granite
Limestone
Marl
Schist
Clay
Sand
Silt
Gravel
What are the parts of the grape
Skins
Pulp
What are the attributes of the skins
Tannins
Color
Flavor
What are the attributes of the pulp
Water
Sugar
Acids
Seeds/pips
What are further attributes of the pulp
Water- majority sits in pulp
Sugars- increase as grapes ripen
Acids- decrease as grapes ripen
Seeds/pips- add bitterness if pressed
To which Genus do grapes belong to
Vitis
What are the major three Vitis species
Vinifera
Riparia
Labrusca
Where is the Vitis Vinifera Species native to
Mediterranean
Europe
Southern Western Asia
Is Vitis Vinifera the most common of the Vitis?
Yes, 10,000 varieties
What is the most foremost factor of planting varietals within a vineyard
Local wine law
What are the most important factors of varietals after wine law?
Climate compatibility
Soil compatibility
What is the most common factor of soil compatibility?
Will the grape grow within the vineyard given the soil type
What are the most common factors of Climate compatibility
Will the grape be suited to locale
Will it ripen
Is it too hot to find balance in grape quality
What is the term viticultural propagation a synonym for
Grape vine breeding
What would a hybrid grape breed classify as
Two or more different species combined to produce a new variety
What would a cross grape breed classify as?
Vines of the same species combined to create a new variety
What is the definition of a clone?
Identical reproduction of a single vine
What are the most important effects of cool climate connections
Grapes ripen slowly and moderately
Less sugar is produced
Acidity remains high
Less alcohol is produced
Flavors are more tart and lean
What is the connection behind warm climate and wine style
Grapes ripen fully
More sugar is produced
Acidity is lower
Higher alcohol content
Flavors are more lush ripe and juicy
What is the connection behind warm climate and wine style
Grapes ripen fully
More sugar is produced
Acidity is lower
Higher alcohol content
Flavors are more lush ripe and juicy
What is vineyard architecture
How vines will be laid out
What is vine spacing
How vines will be placed in rows
What does vine spacing dictate
How closely or further out vines can be spaced
What is the definition of vine training?
How vines will grow based on vineyard manager
They can be controlled for grapes leaves or wood
What does vine training control
Grapes
Leaves
Wood
What is the definition of yields
How much fruit a vine can produce
How can yields be measured
Tons of grapes per hectare
Hectoliters per hectare
Pounds/kilos per vine
What is green harvest
Process of dropping or cutting unripe bunches of grapes before harvest to decrease yields to allow vines to focus energy on fewer but more high quality bunches
What is canopy management
Managing the growth of vines leaves
Determines shade/exposure to bunches and create or stop air flow
What is irrigation
Providing vines with water through varying methods
This process may be allowed or not based on gov
What is Phylloxera
Vine louse that decimated 1/3 of worlds vines
One of the world’s greatest threats in history
Occurred in 1800’s
What is the purpose of fertilizers
Either chemical or organic compounds that provide soil fertility
Provides nutrients to vines
What is the purpose of anti fungal treatments in vineyards
Applications sprayed to ward and minimize mildew and rot that would compromise fruit quality
What are the most important factors to harvest
Grape maturity
Sugar ripeness
Physiological ripeness
Tannin ripeness
What distinguishes grape maturity
Grape variety
Goals by winemaker
Sugar ripeness
Physiological ripeness
Tannin ripeness
What is the significance of vineyard passes
Picking only ripe grape and leaving underripe ones
What are major factors of vineyard harvest
Harvest: Hand harvest vs mechanical harvest
Bin size: small vs large
What are the benefits of hand harvesting
Greater selectivity of bunches
Care during harvest allows farmers to weed leaves pests and animals
What are the negatives of hand harvesting
Labor intensive
Time consuming
What are the benefits of mechanical harvesting
Economical and rapid
Can increase quality during harsh summers and protection during storms
What are the downsides to mechanical harvesting
Machines are much less precise and shake fruit off
This brings not only fruit but pests leaves animals
What are the downsides to large bins for harvest
Can result in bursted berries or clusters due to heavy weight
Compromised quality
Possible premature fermentation
What are the upsides of small bins
Limits the number of cluster that can be contained
Limits weight of fruit
What is the definition of terroir
Entire set of factors that influence the development of the vines fruit and characteristics of the fruit once vinified
What is the brush on a grape
What remains attached to the stems when grapes are destemmed
What is important about the skin for red wines
Contain tannin
Clotting matter
Compounds that contribute to flavor
Yeast on skin
What happens to the stem/stalk at the end of the ripening process
Stems turn from green/ fleshy to brown and woody
What is the importance of the pips of the grape
They are all different for grape varieties
Release bitter tannins if crushed
What does the flesh of a grape contain
Grape sugars
Acids
Flavor compounds
Water
What color is the flesh of grapes
Grey-ish color
What allows grapes to ferment and gain complexity
Natural high sugar to ferment with
Naturally high tartaric acid
Why is tartaric acid beneficial to grapes
Naturally good at warding bacteria
Eagerness to ferment due to natural yeast on grapes
Why is fermentation important to wine
Conversion by yeasts of sugars to alcohol
Making juice less sweet and more potent
What is the color of embryonic wine
Cloudy pale straw
How does embryonic wine become white
The solids precipitate out
How do yeasts function
Without the presence of oxygen
What protects the fermenting juice from oxygen
Bubbling carbon dioxide
Pushing skins to surface
What preserves red wine for long term aging
Tannin
What provides structure in red wines
Tannin
Within what year of the life of the vine can wine not properly be made
Within the first 1-4 years
Young vines are busy creating root systems and trunks
What is the difference between modern and wild vines
Wild vines are vigorous- making long leafy branches
Modern vines are utilized to ripen grapes
Principal roots of the vine grow how far deep
100FT/30M
When can a vine be harvested for great fruit?
3-6 years at the minimum
Around what age are vines pulled out and why?
25-30 year old
Uneconomic levels of yields
What is a viable option for old or crippled vines?
Grafting to old rootstock by inserting new cutting in trunk
At what point do vines risk freezing points
5°F
How long does the growing season last
150-190 days
What is the most dangerous thing to vines when they have budded
Spring frost
Why is spring frost decimating to vines
New buds have just recently opened and are tender
What do high tech companies do to combat frost
Utilize textiles to improve improve new buds
When do the stomata of leaves close
At temperatures higher than 86°F
What is a common occurrence in warm maritime climates during winter
Vines may not fall dormant and pests become more prevalent
What does diurnal shift allow winemakers to have
Steady and long growing seasons
Where would ultraviolet radiation be most prevalent and what area on earth
High altitude vineyards
New Zealand
What does high light radiation do to grapes
Create high levels of tannins
Dense thick skins
Intensely colored wines
What is the average rainfall for temperate climates
20 inches / 500mm
What amount of rain is needed in hotter climates
30 inches / 750mm
If varieties are drought tolerant what would they look like within a vineyard
Spread out as much as possible
What is the solution for regions that don’t have enough rainfall
Irrigation
What the most common pitfalls of irrigation
Quality and consistency of water utilized
What is a common problem in water consistency in hotter areas
Salt in water
What happens to a vine if under shortage of water
Water stress
What is water stress
When a vine runs short of water and begins producing smaller grapes with thick skins
Increased concentration of color
What happens to vines during severe drought
Complete shut down and survival tactic of vine
What happens during torrential downpour for vines
As long as there is proper drainage the vine can survive
What does excessive rainfall mean for the vines
Easily catchable fungal disease
What does excessive rainfall mean for the vines
Easily catchable fungal disease
Growth of many shoots
Unripe grapes
What happens with unsettled or cool weather during flowering
Affects amount and quality of fruit set
What is the downfall to heavy rain before harvest
Grapes begin to swell / burst
Sugar / acid / flavor is diminished
What is the downfall to hail
Destroy crop
Break vine shoots
Bruise trunks
(Last the whole season)
What are common solutions to hail
Netting
Shockwaves to clouds
What can potentially happen with strong winds in the vineyard in early harvest
Break shoots
Affect flowering
What can constant wind stress do to vines
Can stop photosynthesis
Delay ripening process
What is a common solution for wind stress
Wind breaks
How can wind be beneficial for viticulture
Wind can mitigate heat
Dry out vineyards that are damp
Minimize fungal disease
What is vineyard zoning
The science of geology, geomorphology, pedology together
What is the purpose of vineyard zoning for future vineyards
The ability to know what land plots to buy
Modifications to land
Planting what varietals
What are cover crops
Crops planted in between vines
What is the most important thing about terroir?
The extent in which water and nutrients are available
What are some moderators of terroir (soil based)
Water
Nutrients
Microorganisms
What are vineyard soil moderators
Age
Composition
Texture
Structure
Depth
Drainage
What do soil moderators affect
Fertility
Water holding capacity
Temperature
Quality
Quantity
What happens when soil is too fertile for vines
Too much vigor
Excessive shoots
(If shaded) leafy / green profile
What governs the fertility and root water access
Texture and structure of soil
What is generally the best portion of a slope
Middle section
Due to weathering and erosion
What are the major 3 types of rocks based on origin
Igneous
Sedimentary
Metamorphic
What influences vineyard topography geologically
Hardness of bedrock
Susceptibility to erosion
What does vineyard topography effect
Ability of roots access to water / nutrients
Accentuating / mitigating climactic influences
What are a crucial sign to soil health
Earthworms
Organic matter
Microbes
What are the extremes of nitrogen in soil
Too rich: high yielding vines that fail to ripen
Too low: yeasts in fermentation begin to struggle
What practice can encourage microbial life in soil
Organic viticulture
Growing cover crops
Vitis vinifera was categorized by what scientist
Carl Linnaeus
1753
When was phylloxera found in England
1863
The first of Europe
After England what country was attacked next
1866
France
Where in France did Phylloxera first strike
Southern Rhône and Languedoc
1866
Where does Phylloxera attack after Rhône and Languedoc
Bordeaux
1869
Where does Phylloxera strike after France
Portugal / Turkey
1871
After Turkey / Portugal where does Phylloxera strike
Austria
1872
After Austria where does Phylloxera attack
Switzerland
1874
Where does phylloxera strike after Switzerland
Italy - 1875
Victoria, Australia - 1875 / 1876
Where does Phylloxera strike after Italy and Australia
Spain
1878
When does Grafting onto American rootstock take place and where
1878
France
Where does Phylloxera strike after Spain
Germany
1881
After the major spread of phylloxera in Europe where is it found next
Algeria - 1885
Croatia - 1897
Greece - 1898
Where does Phylloxera spread in the new world in the 1980’s
California
Where does phylloxera spread in the 1990’s
Oregon and New Zealand
Where does Phylloxera spread in the 2000’s
2006
Yarra Valley / Victoria AUS
What are the two major fungal diseases that plague the 19th century for vines
Powdery mildew
Downy mildew
What is a common fungal disease when spraying and using a tractor
Grey rot - Botrytis bunch rot
What are other common diseases for vines
Pierce disease - bacterial disease which kills vines in 5 yrs
Grapevine yellow - also spread by leafhopper
Esca
Eutypa dieback
