Viticulture Terms

Question 1

débourrement

Answer 1

budburst, budbreak

• 1st new green tissue emerges from each bud

Question 2

millerandage

Answer 2

hens and chicks

• Grape clusters with berries that vary in size and number of seeds
• Caused by cold weather at flowering, mineral deficiency, or disease
• Results in reduced yields and uneven ripening

Question 3

taille

Answer 3

pruning

• Excess wood is removed from the dormant vine, strategically leaving only buds that will produce

Question 4

porte-greffe

Answer 4

rootstock

• portion of the vine in contact with the soil
• typically phylloxera resistant

Question 5

couloure

Answer 5

uneven set

• Occurs when a significant number of berries do not set after flowering
• Caused by cold weather during flowering or mineral deficiency
• Results in reduced yields

Question 6

inflorescence

Answer 6

Cluster of flowers that, after berry set, becomes a grape cluster

Question 7

shot berries

Answer 7

Small, hard, green berries that contain no seeds

Question 8

suckering

Answer 8

Removing small, unwanted shoots that grow from buds, not yet developed, on the trunk and cordon

Question 9

Vitis berlandieri

Answer 9

• Species of grape commonly used for rootstock
• Good for limestone soils but does not graft well

Question 10

Vitis riparia

Answer 10

• Species of grape commonly used for rootstock
• Tolerates wet soils
• Has a devigorating (slowing of shoot elongation) effect on the vine
• Induces early ripening

Question 11

shoot devigoration

Answer 11

natural slowing of shoot elongation

usually due to water stress

Question 12

Optical sorter

Answer 12

Automatically rejects berries that aren’t a certain shape, size, color

Question 13

Density sorter

Answer 13

Grapes are run through a sugar-water solution, more ripe grapes fall to the bottom, those that float are rejected.

Question 14

What techniques can vintners employ during cold vintages?

Answer 14

Chapitalization
Vacuum distillation
Reverse Osmosis