Viticulture

Question 1

Grapes growing in Aquitaine for how long?

Answer 1

2,000 years

Question 2

What is marcottage?

Answer 2

Layering of vines in a row-less tangle

Question 3

Vineyard activities in October

Answer 3

Harvest
Fertilise
Hill up with earth to protect against winter freeze

Question 4

Vineyard activities in November?

Answer 4

Prepare for winter pruning
Remove fasteners and low wires
Leaf fall
Winter pruning

Question 5

Vineyard activities

December to March

Answer 5

Remove pruned branches from vineyard
Burn or chip them
Return chips or ashes to vineyard

Question 6

Vineyard activities March

Answer 6

Bud break (débourrement)
Shoot growth
Remove hilled up earth (déchausser)

Question 7

Vineyard activities in May

Answer 7

Flowering (floraison)
Berry set (nouaison)

Question 8

Vineyard activities in July

Answer 8

Leaf pulling

Green harvest

Question 9

Vineyard activities in August

Answer 9

Vine stops growing vegetatively to focus on fruit (aoûtement)
Veraison (maturation, colour change)

Question 10

Vineyard activities

September to October

Answer 10

Clusters ripen and mature

Question 11

What is considered high density planting?

Answer 11

10,000 vines per ha

E.g. Médoc, Pessac-Léognan

Question 12

What is considered moderate planting density?

Answer 12

5,000-6,000 vines per hectare

E.g. the Cotes

Question 13

What is considered low planting density?

Answer 13

2,000-4,000 vines per hectare
E.g. Bordeaux AOC
Wide spacing good for mechanisation

Question 14

High density planting is best on fertile soils. True or false?

Answer 14

False. High density planting is best on less fertile soil

Question 15

Lower density (wider spacing) is best on fertile soil. True or false?

Answer 15

True

Question 16

Name the two dominant vine training systems in Bordeaux

Answer 16

Guyot (including Double Guyot variation)

Bordelaise/Médoc

Question 17

Describe Guyot vine training system

Answer 17

Vine pruned to one long temporary arm
Trained horizontally/diagonally/vertically/in an arch
Arm has 6-10 buds
A renewal spur containing 2 buds forms shoots that will replace the existing arm during winter pruning

Variation is double Guyot (2 arms)

Question 18

Explain Bordelaise/Médoc vine training system

Answer 18

2 lateral cordon arms tied to support wires
5-7 buds
Renewal spur with 2 buds allowed - will eventually replace lateral arms

Found in Médoc, Graves, Pessac

Question 19

Name the unapproved vine training system under trial

Answer 19

Lyre system

Question 20

4 reasons it’s difficult to go green in Bordeaux

Answer 20

Maritime climate
River systems
High wate table
Low elevation

Question 21

5 areas of focus for Haute Valeur Environmentale (HVE)

Answer 21

Water
Energy
Recycling
Biodiversity
Chemical inputs

Question 22

What is EMS

Answer 22

Environmental management system

Question 23

How were the Pyrenees formed?

Answer 23

Collision of the Iberian peninsula with France

Question 24

Name for mountain building episode

Answer 24

Hercynian

Question 25

What are lacustrine deposits?

Answer 25

Freshwater sediment of sands, gravels, silts and clays.

Question 26

Périgord sands

Answer 26

Alluvial deposits, 55-36 mya

Question 27

Fronsadais molasse

Answer 27

Alluvial deposits, 36-24 mya

Question 28

Calcaire de Castillon

Answer 28

Alluvial deposits, 36-24 mya

Limestone

Question 29

Molasse de l’Armagnac

Answer 29

Alluvial deposits, 7-5 mya

Question 30

Calcaire à Asteries

Answer 30

Starfish limestone

Subsoil below gravel terraces of best crus of Médoc and Graves

Also in Bourg-Blaye, St Emilion and Entre Deux Mers

Question 31

What is marl

Answer 31

A limestone rich clay

Question 32

Source of Médoc gravels

Answer 32

Pyrenees (small gravels)

Massif Central, Périgord Limousin (larger stones)

Question 33

Jalle

Answer 33

Small stream

Question 34

Palus

Answer 34

Sandy backfill between gravel mounds

Question 35

Tributaries of Dordogne river (3)

Answer 35

Isle
Dronne
Vézère