Viticulture (R) Flashcards
What are the factors of production?
- Historical Background
- Location/Geography
- Climate
- Topography/Aspect
- Soil
- Grape Varieties Planted
- Viticultural Practices
- Vinification Practices
- Harvest
- Yearly Weather/Vintage Variation
- Terroir
- Regional Wine Laws
Define viticulture
The art and science of vine growing
What characterizes the location/geography of a vineyard?
Site selection
Goals
Regional Wine Laws
Financial Considerations
What does climate determine?
Wine style
What are the latitudinal zones of wine growing?
30-50 degrees in both hemispheres (Northern and Southern)
What is a Macroclimate?
The “big picture” climate of an entire wine region.
What is a Mesoclimate?
The climate of a particular vineyard.
What is a Microclimate?
The climate of a particular row of vines or even a specific vine within a vineyard.
What are the four primary climates?
- Continental (cool)
- Maritime (moderate)
- Mediterranean (warm)
- High Desert (hot)
What characterizes a Continental climate?
- Strong annual variation in temperature due to lack of proximity to significant bodies of water.
- Hotter summers than maritime
- Often cold winters that can be extreme
What characterizes a Maritime climate?
- Influenced by a large body of water such as a sea or ocean
- Marked by mild temperatures
- Year to year temperature fluctuations causing vintage variation
What characterizes a Mediterranean climate?
- Summers are hot and dry (except for immediate coastal areas)
- Along coasts, summers are mild due to proximity to cold water currents
- Storms can be consequence
What characterizes a High Desert climate?
- Hot and dry summers
- High daytime temperatures
- Dramatic drops in temperature overnight
What factors affect climate?
- Diurnal Shifts
- Sunshine Hours
- Threats (frost or freeze, hail, strong winds)
What are sunshine hours and how do they affect climate?
- Number of sunshine hours a vineyard or wine region receives in a given vintage year or growing season.
- Ripening of grapes
- Balancing of acidity and sugar
What are potential threats and how do they affect climate? (3)
- Frost or Freeze: Hazard in Spring and Fall. Can kill vines outright. In spring, frost can damage or kill delicate buds and flowers, preventing vines from setting grape clusters.
- Hail: Can shatter grapes.
- Strong Winds: Can blow over vines or blow buds and flowers off the vine, preventing grapes from growing.
List the primary climate moderators. (4)
- Bodies of water (rivers, lakes, oceans - can warm or cool a region)
- Mountains (rain shadow can protect)
- Altitude/Elevation (1 degree drop per 1 meter rise)
- Wind (can cool or lend warmth/drier air)
major white grape varieties?
16
major red grape varieties?
18
What are the primary topographic elements?
- Local Elevation/Altitude
- Hillside Slope or Valley Floor?
(Slope = better drainage, less fertile from erosion, lower chance of frost, difficult to maintain and harvest
(Floor = pooling of air, frost, sometimes overly fertile) - Aspect (sun facing or not)
- Proximity to Water
Important properties of soil? (3)
- Water Drainage
- Water Retention
- Sun Reflection
Main types of soil? (8)
- Granite
- Limestone/Chalk
- Marl
- Schist
- Clay
- Sand
- Silt
- Gravel
What do grape skins contribute to a wine?
- Tannins
- Color
- Flavor
What do grape pulps contribute to a wine?
- Water
- Sugar (increases as grape ripens)
- Acids (decreases as grape ripes)
- Seed/Pips (can give bitter flavors if pressed)
Grapes are the fruit of a vining plant of the genus __________.
Vitis
What are the main species of vining plants that produce grapes?
- Vitis vinifera (native to Mediterranean, Europe, Southwestern Asia)
- Vitis labrusca
- Vitis riparia
What should you consider when choosing a grape variety of planting?
- Wine Laws
- Climate Compatibility
- Soil Compatibility
What is viticultural propagation?
A fancy term for vine breeding.
Name the three types of viticultural propagation.
- Hybrids
- Crosses
- Clones
What is hybrid propagation?
Combining two or more species to produce a new variety (Vitis vinifera x Vitis Labrusca) (ie. the Armagnac grape Baco Blanc = Folle blanche (vinifera) X Noah (labrusca))
What is cross propagation?
Combining vines of the same species to produce a new variety (Vitis vinifera x Vitis vinifera) (ie. Cabernet Sauvignon = Cabernet Franc (vinifera) X Sauvignon Blanc (vinifera))
What is clone propagation?
Identical genetic reproduction of a single vine (common in Cabernet Sauvignon)
How does a cool climate impact wine style?
- Slow, moderate ripening
- Less sugar
- Higher acidity
- Lower alcohol potential
- More tart and lean; less ripe and juicy
How does a warm climate impact wine style?
- Full ripening
- More sugar
- Lower acidity
- Higher alcohol potential
- Ripe, lush, juicy
Name four factors of viticultural practices.
- Vineyard Architecture
- Vine Spacing
- Vine Training
- Yield
What is “green harvest”?
The dropping or cutting of grape bunches off of a vine before harvest to focus the vine’s energy on FEWER, HIGHER QUALITY BUNCHES.
Name five aspects of vineyard management.
- Canopy Management
- Irrigation
- Pests and Diseases
- Fertilizers
- Anti-Fungal Treatments
What aspects of harvest determine wine style and quality?
- Timing of Picking (grape maturity, sugar ripeness, physiological ripeness, tannin ripeness)
- Number of Vineyard Passes
- Method (hand vs mechanical; small bin vs large bin)
Define terroir.
Terroir is the entire set of factors that influence the development of the vine’s fruit and the characteristics the fruit will show once vinified.
Regional wine laws often dictate _______, _______, _______, and _______.
- WHERE grapes can be grown
- WHAT grapes can be grown
- HOW grapes can be grown
- WHEN grapes can be picked
How does the size of an acre compare to the size of a hectare?
1 acre is roughly 40% of 1 hectare
