Viticulture-part 1 Flashcards
What is clone?
Clones are variants within a grape that differ slightly in terms of morphology and behavior.
Which grape variety is thought to be at least 2,000 years old?
Pinot Noir, and as a result many diverse clones exist
The highly aromatic pink Gewurztraminer is a mutation of _____________?
Savagnin Blanc
How are called the German hybrids grapes, used for their disease resistance and cold tolerance?
Rondo & Regent
In which year the phylloxera was spotted in France?
1866
Vines was first grafted to rootstocks for phylloxera resistance, what are the other beneficials?
drought tolerance & and resistance to pest and diseases
Name 3 North American rootstocks?
*Vitis riparia- troughout central & north America, not drought tolerance, does not do well in lime soils, and is phylloxera resistance.
*Vitis rupestris- native to the south America, it is drought tolerance, phylloxera, nematodes & viruses, (St George is a pure rupestris rootstock).
*Vitis berlandieri- native to deep limestone soils in Texas, and good to use in alkaline soils, develops deep roots and confers some drought and phylloxera tolerance.
What are the differences between “climate & weather”?
*Climate refers to the patterns and overall amount of (heat, sunlight, precipitation and wind) that characterize a region, long-term average weather over time.
*Weather describe these properties over a short period, e.g. (what you see from your window).
What are the differences between Mediterranean, Maritime & Continental Climates?
*Mediterranean climate have small range between summer & winter temperature, wet winters but receive little rain during the growing season.
*Maritime climate similar to Mediterranean, moderate with small range between summer and winter temperatures, but with rainfall all year round.
*Continental climate, have big differences between Summer and Winter temperatures, and experience the classic four seasons and rain all year round.
Name 3 regions with Continental climate?
Burgundy
Mendoza
Wachau
Name 3 regions with Mediterranean climate?
Stellenbosch
Galicia
Barossa Valley
Name 4 regions with Maritime climate?
Bordeaux
Hawkes Bay
Willamette Valley
Oregon
What about Tropical climates?
Little temperature variation trough out the year, such as eastern parts of Australia, Madeira, Canary Islands, often grapes in these climates are made into fortified wines.
How warm climate impact the grapes?
Tend to yield fruitier wines, with higher alcohol, lower acidity and softer tannins.
How cool climate impact the grapes?
Lower alcohol, higher acidity more astringent tannins, fresh fruit and savory flavors.
What does “Diurnal shift” means?
The differences between day time and night time temperature.
In warm climate large diurnal shift is important for wine quality as it seems to preserve acidity and flavor.
Growing season average temperature (see the answer)
How is the average growing season temperature calculated?
*April to October in the Northern Hemisphere
*October to April in the Southern Hemisphere
Sunlight is typically considered important for ____________?
flavor development, light stimulate the production of phenolic compounds like “anthocyanin & tannins”
Sunlight also encourages the breakdown of “pyrazine” the green bel pepper flavor associated with grapes such as:
Cabernet Sauvignon & Sauvignon Blanc
Why higher latitudes regions receive more sunshine hours?
*due to the longer days
*But sunlight intensity is greater nearer the equator
Why rain near the harvest is a problem?
rain near harvest can cause berries to swell and split, resulting in dilution and increased disease pressure.
Wine grapes generally grow between 30 & 50 degree latitude! Why not at higher or lower latitudes?
*In lower latitudes the vines don’t experience dormant season.
*In higher latitudes are often to cold for grapes to attain ripeness.
Those regions further from the equator often have:
Shorter growing season, but longer days.
On what rely higher latitudes vineyards for warming effect?
*Warming from bodies of water and warm air currents.
On what rely lower latitudes vineyards for cooling influence?
Higher elevations
Hills and Mountains can result in significant climatic diversity, state one factor?
Tends to reduce temperature, but also increases sunlight intensity.
What is the calculation for sunlight exposure with altitudes?
For 1000m the sunlight increase with 2%
Why mid-slopes sides are often considered best for wine quality?
due to the ideal balance of soil and water conditions, along with good airflow to prevent frost and diseases.
Air currents that move along the water can bring cold or warm air into a region and create fog and mist that reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the vines. Give few examples?
*The cooling Humboldt current of Chile, and Benguela current of South Africa
*The warm Golf Stream that warms much of Northern Europe.
How can spring frost affect the vine?
Can kill young shoots
Name few methods for frost mitigation?
*Site selection
*Air circulation
*Sprinklers
*Fans or Helicopters
*Heat (Smudge-Pots)
*Pruning Methods
Name a drought tolerant rootstock?
St. George
What is the risk of warm and dry environment regions?
Sunburn, which result in caramelized flavors, and dehydration which concentrates sugar and acid in the fruit and can lead to raisinated flavors.
How can a winemaker reduce the risk of sunburn?
By maintaining protective canopy
The color of the soils is sometimes said to warm the microclimate of the vine!
Light vs Dark colored soils?
*Light colored soils such as the “Albariza” soils of Jerez reflect sunlight back into the fruit zone providing even greater warmth.
*Dark colored soils such as the “Slate & Basalt” of the Ahr in Germany absorb heat and radiate it trough the night.
In what type of soils are usually found the Parasitic nematodes?
sandy soils
PH is a scale of acidity that range from?
0 (very acidic) to 14 (very basic)
with water considered neutral at a PH of 7
Soil PH range from 3 to 10, at what number the soil is described as acidic?
*Below 6.5
*Neutral soils are 6.5 to 8
*And alkaline (basic) are over 8
From viticultural perspective neutral soils are considered ideal, while those lower than 5 are generally considered to be unsuitable for farming.
In what type of soils the PH is above 8.5 with significant lime content?
limestone
chalk
tufa
marlstone
marble
*These soils are frequently associated with wine quality
Vines require 17 essential nutrients for healthy function! Which are the 3 supplied by water?
Carbon
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Vines require 17 essential nutrients for healthy function! Name the most important absorbed trough the soil?
nitrogen
phosphorus
potassium
How the vines are propagated?
From dormant cuttings, which are 12 to 18 cm cane taken from a parent plant.
What means (grafting) in the world of wine?
Grafting is vine connection of 2 different species, used to join vinifera to non-vinifera rootstock like puzzle pieces.
What means “Layering”?
Traditional method for vine propagation, a shoot from a neighboring vine is laid down into the ground, where it roots and forms new vine that may be separated from the mother vine.
Cannot be used in soils with phylloxera.
There are 2 major types of grafting in viticulture (bench and field) explain bench grafting?
Two dormant cuttings (the rootstock & cane) are joined together at the nursery usually by machine. Afterward the graft is wrapped to provide support and stored in a warm, damp room to heal for several months.
Explain field grafting?
Rootstock is planted in the vineyard in the spring and allowed to grow for an entire season. The cane is then grafted on the top which contains single bud.
European vineyards tends to use higher density of planted vines per hectare, what is the common number?
What about New World?
10,000 vines per hectare (EU)
1,500 vines per 4,000 square meters (NW)
High vs low density planting vineyards?
*High - used to limit vine vigor trough competition and to maximize yields
*Low - is more appropriate for vineyards with not enough water supply or for dry-farming such as in many regions of Spain.
Cordon-Trained & Spur-Pruned?
This system is also suitable for mechanization. Because these vines have more permanent wood than other systems, they store more water and nutrients and may better tolerate adverse environmental conditions.
Head-Trained & Cane-Pruned?
Head-trained, cane-pruned vines typically have one or two canes (though as many as four are possible) attached to the head (top) of the trunk. Guyot is a well-known variation of cane-pruning that includes one spur for each fruiting cane attached directly to the head, called replacement or renewal spurs.
Head-Trained & Spur-Pruned
also called bush, gobelet, However, head-trained vines are the least productive and not suitable for mechanization.
Which 2 unique training systems are used in Champagne?
Taille Chablis & Vallee de la Marne, that are high yielding and reduce the risk of frost damage
What is Pergola trellis system?
Pergola system allows workers to pass below the vines
*In humid areas like Rias Baixas pergola trellising promotes airflow and reduces fungal disease pressure.
*Pergola, also called tendone in Italy and latada in Spain.
