Viticulture Flashcards
What is the definition of a cool climate region?
Regions with an average mean temperature during the growing seasons of below 16•C, in which early ripening varieties such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir will just ripen.
Classic cool climate regions include, Champagne, the Mosel, Southern England, Anderson Valley (N California), Tasmania and parts of Carneros (California).
What is the definition of a moderate climate?
Regions with an average mean temperature during the growing seasons of 16.5-18.5•C
These are suited to the production of medium bodied wines from intermediate ripening varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese.
Examples include Bordeaux, Northern Rhône, Rioja, Tuscany, much of Piedmont and Tuscany, Coonawarra, Marlborough - more moderate parts of Napa and Sonoma.
What is the average mean temperature of a moderate climate region during the growing season?
16.5-18.5•C
What is the average mean temperature of a cool climate region during the growing season?
Below 16•C
What is the growing season in the Northern hemisphere?
April - October
What is the growing season in the Southern Hemisphere?
October - April
What are two classic early ripening varieties?
Chardonnay
Pinot Noir
What are two typical cool climate regions?
Champagne The Mosel Southern England Anderson Valley (Northern California) Tasmania Carneros (California)
What is a classic moderate climate region?
Bordeaux
Northern Rhône Rioja Much of Piedmont & Tuscany Coonawarra Marlborough
What is the average mean temperature during the growing season of a warm region?
18.5-21•C
What are some classic warm climate regions?
Southern Rhône The Douro Jerez McLaren Vale Paarl
What grape varieties like warm climate regions?
Grenache, Mourvèdre and Ruby Cabernet
What is classified as hot climate?
Regions with an average mean temperature of over 21•C during the growing season
What is the degree of continentality?
The difference between the average mean temperature of the hottest month and the coldest month.
Where the difference is large climates are continental
Where the difference is small, climates are maritime
Where are maritime climates usually found?
Near large bodies of water e.g. Bordeaux and the eastern coast of New Zealand
A maritime climate has higher or lower rainfall than Mediterranean or continental climates?
Higher rainfall, and this generally brings extra cloud cover
Maritime climates are characterised by…
Low annual range of temperatures (warm summers, mild winters)
Relatively high rainfall
The grape berry ripening period is reasonable long, with moderate temperatures
Classic maritime climates…
Bordeaux Muscadet Rias Baixas Vinho Verde South of England
A Mediterranean climate is characterised by…
Low annual range of temperatures (warm sunny summers and mild winters) but with dry summers and most of the rain falling during the winter.
Where outside of the Mediterranean is classified as having a Mediterranean climate?
West Coast of the United States
Most of Chilean wine regions
Many regions in South Eastern Australia
Cape winelands of South Africa
Continental climates are generally found…
Inland, away from the moderating affects of the sea (e.g. Mendoza, Central Europe, central Spain) has
Continental climates are characterised by…
A wide annual range of temperatures - hot summers and cold winters
Why can Continental climates have a shorter growing season?
Because temperatures drop more rapidly in autumn compared to maritime climates and there is less sunlight and warmth available to the vine at the end of the growling season. Which is why early ripening varieties such as Riesling and Pinot Noir are valued in places like Northern Germany, Champagne and British Columbia
Why is late harvesting less of a risk in continental climates?
Because continental climates tend to be drier than maritime climates which reduces the risk of rot at harvest time and makes late harvesting less of a risk
What is an example of a warm continental climate?
Mendoza
What is an example of a cool continental climate?
Alsace
Austria
Northern Germany
What defines a tropical climate?
Tropical climates show minimal temperature variation throughout the year so seasons tends to be defined through other factors - ie rainfall
Why are subtropical climates difficult for quality wine production?
Because the vine need clear temperature signals for its dormant periods and growth cycles and a climate with minimal variation throughout the year does not provide this.
Some vine growing does occur in subtropical regions like India and Brazil but the lack of winters mean the vine crops at more than once a year and with no dormant period in which to rest and consolidate their carbohydrate reserves, vines have a shorter productive lifespan
What is Smaragd?
The most valuable category of white wines from the ripest grapes on the best sites of the Wachau in Austria.
Alcohol levels must be more than 12.5%
Can age for 20 years+
What EU climate region is the UK and Germany (excluding Baden) in?
EU regjon A
5% minimum abv
Maximum enrichment +3.5% to 11.5% (to 12% for reds)
Acid adjustment -1 - 0g/L
What climatic EU region is Loire, Champagne, Alsace and Austria in?
EU region B
6% minimum potential abv
Maximum enrichment +2.5% to 12 % (to 12.5% for reds)
Acid adjustment -1 - 0 g/L
What climate region is Bordeaux, South West France, Rhône and Vinho Verde?
EU region C 1a
7.5% minimum potential alcohol
Maximum enrichment
+2% to 12.5% abv
Acid adjustment
-1 - 0g/L
What EU climatic region is Hungary and Trentino-Alto Adige?
EU region C 1b
8% minimum potential abv
Maximum enrichment +2% to 12.5%
Acid adjustment
-1 - 0 g/L
What EU climatic region is Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence, Northern Spain (except Atlantic Coast) and most of Italy?
Climate EU region C2
Minimum potential abv 8.5%
Maximum enrichment
+2% to 13 %
Acid adjustment
-1 - +2.5g|L
What climate zone is parts of Greece?
EU region C 3a
9% minimum potential abv
Maximum enrichment +2% to 13.5% abv
Acid adjustment
0 - +2.5g/L
What EU climate zone is Portugal (except Vinho Verde), Southern Spain, Puglia, Sicily and Most of Greece?
EU region C 3b
9% minimum potential abv
Maximum enrichment +2% to 13.5% abv
Acid adjustment
0 - +2.5g/L
What Ocean current warms up the UK climate sufficiently to allow wine production at 50-52• latitude?
The warming Gulf Stream ocean current
Which current off Chile creates cooling mists and fog which roll in during the morning and cool down the temperature?
The cooling Humbolt ocean current
The mean annual temperature decreases by how much with every 100 metre rise above sea level?
~0.6•C
Which classic wine regions have limestone based soils?
Central and Eastern Loire Piedmont Northern Spain Most of Burgundy LimeStone Coast Zone in South Australia
Which classic wine region has slate soils?
The Mosel
What is Granite soils?
Granite is an igneous rock which means it is formed from solidified magna produced by volcanoes.
It is extremely hard and dense but still free draining
Found in Baden in Germany and Northern Rhône
Why are limestone soils good?
Contains a lot of calcium carbonate and is usually alkaline and free draining.
Sedimentary rock formed from the deposition of shells and skeletons of marine animals.
When is budburst?
April / May in Northern hemisphere
September /October in the Southern Hemisphere
What stimulates budburst?
The increased temperatures in Spring
When is flowering?
June/July in Northern hemisphere
November /December in Southern Hemisphere
Fine weather is important for pollination and fruit set to occur.
Too much rain or wind and the pollen will wash or blow away which make result in a low fruit set and small crop.
What is lake effect?
The year round influence on nearby vineyards from nearby large lakes which permits vine growing in areas such as north east United States and Ontario in Canada despite their high latitude.
❄️ WINTER - provides moisture to prevailing winds which creates a deep snow cover protecting vines from winter freeze even in very low temperatures
🌿 SPRING - Westerly winds blow across the frozen lake and become cooler delaying bus break until frost has passed
☀️ SUMMER - Lake warms up
🍁 AUTUMN - By fall the Westerly winds are warmed as they blow across the lake lengthening the growing season by delaying the first frost balancing the late start to the growing seasons
What impact does proximity to Lakes have in winter?
The year round influence on nearby vineyards from nearby large lakes which permits vine growing in areas such as north east United States and Ontario in Canada despite their high latitude.
❄️ WINTER - provides moisture to prevailing winds which creates a deep snow cover protecting vines from winter freeze even in very low temperatures
🌿 SPRING - Westerly winds blow across the frozen lake and become cooler delaying bus break until frost has passed
☀️ SUMMER - Lake warms up
🍁 AUTUMN - By fall the Westerly winds are warmed as they blow across the lake lengthening the growing season by delaying the first frost balancing the late start to the growing seasons
What impact does proximity to Lakes have in Spring?
The year round influence on nearby vineyards from nearby large lakes which permits vine growing in areas such as north east United States and Ontario in Canada despite their high latitude.
🌿 SPRING - Westerly winds blow across the frozen lake and become cooler delaying bus break until frost has passed
☀️ SUMMER - Lake warms up
🍁 AUTUMN - By fall the Westerly winds are warmed as they blow across the lake lengthening the growing season by delaying the first frost balancing the late start to the growing seasons
❄️ WINTER - provides moisture to prevailing winds which creates a deep snow cover protecting vines from winter freeze even in very low temperatures
What impact does proximity to lakes have in Autumn?
The year round influence on nearby vineyards from nearby large lakes which permits vine growing in areas such as north east United States and Ontario in Canada despite their high latitude.
🍁 AUTUMN - By fall the Westerly winds are warmed as they blow across the lake lengthening the growing season by delaying the first frost balancing the late start to the growing seasons
❄️ WINTER - provides moisture to prevailing winds which creates a deep snow cover protecting vines from winter freeze even in very low temperatures
🌿 SPRING - Westerly winds blow across the frozen lake and become cooler delaying bus break until frost has passed
☀️ SUMMER - Lake warms up
What impact does proximity to lakes have in Summer?
The year round influence on nearby vineyards from nearby large lakes which permits vine growing in areas such as north east United States and Ontario in Canada despite their high latitude.
☀️ SUMMER - Lake warms up
🍁 AUTUMN - By fall the Westerly winds are warmed as they blow across the lake lengthening the growing season by delaying the first frost balancing the late start to the growing seasons
❄️ WINTER - provides moisture to prevailing winds which creates a deep snow cover protecting vines from winter freeze even in very low temperatures
🌿 SPRING - Westerly winds blow across the frozen lake and become cooler delaying bud break until frost has passed
What is warmer wet soils or well drained soils?
Wet soils are cold soils
Well drained soils are warmer
Why can well drained soils be useful in a marginal climate?
Well drained soils are warmer and are this likely to encourage bud break earlier in the season and aid ripening
They can be suitable for later ripening varietals in marginal climates because they speed them up
Why might cold soil be better suited to an earlier ripening variety?
Warm free draining soils encourage bud break earlier in the season and aid ripening so are useful for later ripening varietals in marginal climates as it speeds up ripening.
A cold soil may be better suited to an earlier ripening variety.
In Bordeaux for example, Merlot does better on clay soils of Pomerol and St-Emilion where the later ripening Cabernet Sauvignon would not ripen.
Cabernet needs the warmer, freely draining gravel soils of the Médoc
What is warmer dark soils or light soils?
Dark soils are warmer, light soils are colder
Exception being very stony soils such as those found in Chateauxneuf-du-Pape conduct and hold the heat well again aiding ripening
Why is it important not to have too fertile a top soil?
Fertile soils encourage excess vigour and less concentration and quality
Also too fertile top soil encourages the vibe to spread its roots sideways rather than sending them deep into the sub soil to make a stable foundation
What are the characteristics of chalk soil?
Type of limestone
Cool and alkaline
Combines golf drainage with sufficient water retention
What are the characteristics of clay soil?
Cold, acid, poorly drained soil
Solid clay is difficult for vines but clay mixed with other soils can be excellent for vine growing
What are the characteristics of granite soil?
Warm
Mineral rich
Tends to produce grapes low in acidity
What are the characteristics of gravel soil?
Pebbly, well drained soil
Generally infertile
It is acid so produces grapes with low acidity
Gravel over limestone gives more acidity than gravel over clay
Key characteristics of limestone soil?
Carbonate rich soils
Many different types of limestone of which chalk is one
Different limestones give different water retentions
Limestone soils generally give grapes with high acidity
The Kimmeridgian soil of Chablis is a calcareous clay containing Kimmeridgian limestone
What are the characteristics of marl?
It is a calcareous clay
Cold soil that holds back ripening and gives wines with high acidity
What are the characteristics of sand?
Fine grained warm soil that drains freely
What are the characteristics of slate?
Warm, well drained soil
Slate soils like those in the Mosel can consist almost entirely of thinly, split fragments of rock
What are the most important North American species of vine?
Vitis Labrusca
Vitis riparia
Vitis berlandieri
Vitis rupestris
What are inflorescences?
A cluster of flowers on a stem that becomes a bunch of grapes at fruit set
The number of inflorescences on each main shoot can depend on the grape variety but is usually between one and three
What is ‘to lignify’?
To become Woody and rigid - a term used to refer to the green shoots of a vine when they turn brown
When does a shoot become a cane?
When it lignifies - becomes wooden and rigid 1 and turns brown
What is the difference between Compound buds (latent buds) and Prompt buds?
Compound buds or latent buds form in one growing season and break open in the next growing season (provided they are retained using winter pruning)
Prompt buds form and break open in the same growing season.
Compound buds produce the main shoots for the next growing season, prompt buds form on the main shoot (that has just grown from a compound bud) and produce lateral shoots
What is the main role of a lateral shoot?
To allow the plant /vine to carry on growing it the tip of the main shoot has been damaged or eaten.
Lateral shoots can provide an addition source of leaves for photosynthesis if they are near the ends of the main shoots and able to benefit from sunlight
Why might growth of lateral shoots nearer the base of the main shoot be undesirable?
They may impede the air flow and shade the fruit too much
Unlikely to benefit from sunlight and aid photosynthesis
They therefore may be removed during summer pruning
What is sometimes known as a ‘second crop’?
Inflorescences /grape bunches on lateral shoots.
What is a ‘second crop’?
Inflorenscenes grown on lateral shoots, they become bunches of grapes later than those on the main stem and hence ripen later
Why might a second crop be removed during a growing season by green harvesting?
The bunches in the second crop (those grown on lateral shoots) will ripen later than those on the main stem.
If harvested at the same time, the bunches in the second crop will be higher in acidity, lower in potential alcohol and may hace unripe tannins and aromas/flavours and in black grapes less colour development
The second crop therefore may be removed during the growing season by green harvesting - a technique thought to enhance the ripening and improve the uniformity of the remaining bunches
Not possible to do a green harvest through machine harvesting and so the second crop will have an impact on the must and finished wine
What is a stomata?
A pore on the underside of the leaves which lets water diffuse out and carbon dioxide to enter for photosynthesis
As water diffuses from the leaf, a process called transpiration draws water and nutrients from the soil up through the vine to the leaves
What happens to Stomatas if the vine is water stressed?
These stomatas (leaf pores) close if the vine is water stressed.
This can help conserve water but limits photosynthesis by preventing carbon dioxide from entering the vine
What are ‘teinturier’ varieties?
Grape varieties that have red coloured pulp (most grape pulp is colourless)
E.g Alicante Bouschet
What temperature will kill most V Vinifera?
Temperatures below -25•C
Vines can be severely damaged or killed by temperatures below -15•C
Temperatures below 10•C are needed during dormancy Nov-Mar in N hemisphere
What marks the end of winter dormancy?
Budburst or budbreak
Process when buds swell and open and green shoots start to emerge
Why could a continental climate be considered advantageous for a successful budburst?
For buds to burst need sufficiently high temperatures - avg air temp above 10•C
In a continental climate there is a marked difference between various seasons. In these places, rapidly increasing temperatures in Spring can mean that budburst can be relatively uniform - which can have positive implications for the homogeneity of later stages of the growing season, potentially eventually leading to a crop of grapes with even ripeness
