Viticulture Terms & Climate Flashcards
What are the typical “factors of production?”
- Climate
- Location/geography
- Topography/aspect
- Soil
- Yearly weather
- Grape choice
- Viticultural choices
- Vinicultural choices
- Local Wine Laws
- History of wine in that region
- Harvest
- Terrior
What are the considerations for Location/Geography?
Site Selection: Where are the vines going to be planted?
Goals: What are the goals of the winemaker? Is this a small winery or large scale production? How is this influenced by the plot of land and local wine laws?
Regional Wine Laws: Especially in old world, local laws can dictate what can be grown and where.
Financial Considerations: How much upfront capital is needed? This depends on which region is under consideration (Napa or Burgundy for example are extremely expensive). What is the balance between high upfront cost and high reputational benefit at the start?
What is Climate?
The composite or prevailing weather conditions in an area in general or over a long period of time
What factors are generally predictable within a climate?
Temperature
Humidity
Air Pressure
Rainfall
Sunshine
Cloudiness
Wind
What does Climate influence?
What grapes can be grown, whether grapes can be grown at all, and what the wine style will be
What are the degrees of latitude that work best for grape growing?
The typical rule is between 30-50 degrees in either northern or southern hemispheres. Grapes can be grown outside this boundary
What is macroclimate?
The climate of an entire region or country.
What is mesoclimate?
The climate of an entire vineyard.
What is microclimate?
The climate of a few rows or a single row of vines, even down to an individual plant
What’s an example of an extreme climate for growing grapes?
Growing grapes for ice wine in Canada.
What are the main climate types for grape growing?
Continental (cool)
Maritime (moderate)
Mediterranean (warm)
High Desert (hot)
What can prevent grapes from ripening?
Lack of access to sufficient sunlight and warm temperatures
What is the Continental climate type?
A climate characterized by strong annual variation in temperature due to lack of proximity to a moderating body of water. Hotter summers than maritime climate, colder winters.
What are examples of the Continental climate type?
Burgundy
What is the Maritime climate type?
A climate influenced by proximity to a large body of water such as a sea or ocean. Mild temperatures can fluctuate year to year, causing vintage variation.
What are examples of the Maritime climate type?
Bordeaux, Rias Biaxias
What is the Mediterranean climate type?
Summers are hot and dry, aside from immediate coastal areas. Summers are mild along coasts which are influenced by cold water currents, but can be susceptible to storms.
What are examples of the Mediterranean climate type?
Provence
What is the High Desert climate type?
Summers are generally hot and dry. Daytime temps are high but can drop significantly overnight.
What are examples of the High Desert climate type?
Argentina
What are the factors that influence climate?
Diurnal shifts
Altitude
Sunshine Hours
Threats (hail, wind, frost, excessive rain during harvest)
Rainshadow
Bodies of water
What is a Diurnal Shift and how does it affect grapes?
It’s the difference between daytime highs and overnight lows. It can affect speed of ripening and the balance of sugar vs acidity in the grapes.
What are Sunshine hours and why are they important?
The number of sunshine hours a vineyard receives in a given vintage year. Sunshine hours influence ripening of grapes, balance of acidity vs sugar, and style of wine.
What are typical threats a vineyard might face?
Excessive rain during harvest, spring frost or winter freeze, hail, strong winds.
What does frost do to a vine?
Spring frost can kill or damage new and delicate buds, preventing the vine from setting grape clusters
What does winter freeze do to a vine?
A hard or prolonged freeze during winter can kill or severely damage a vine
What can hail do to a vine?
Hail can damage the vine and puncture grapes, ruining them.
What can strong winds do to a vine?
Strong winds can blow vines over or remove buds or flowers, preventing fruit from growing
What are the main climate moderators?
Bodies of water
Mountains
What influence do bodies of water have?
Can warm or cool a wine region. Examples are rivers, lakes, oceans
What influence do mountains have?
Can protect a wine region from surround weather or climate influences.
What is a rain shadow?
A dry area on the leeward side of a mountain, opposite the generally poor, cold, and wet side.
What are examples of regions that sit in a rain shadow?
WA state, Argentina, Rioja, Alsace
How does altitude/elevation influence a wine region?
With every 100m increase in elevation, temperatures cool by approx 1 degree. In warm to hot wine regions, planting vines at higher elevations can allow for cooler temperatures that help slow ripening and produce more balanced wines.
What regions is altitude/elevation a significant factor in grape growing?
Argentina
How does wind affect a wine region?
Depending on wind direction, it can cool a region that experiences hot summer days or provide a warming effect that helps to prevent mold or rot. Cool winds can come from an ocean and warm winds can originate from a desert.
What regions have wind as a factor in their viticulture?
Greece
at what temperature do vines begin to grow?
50F
What is the temp when budding begins?
63F
How long does it take from flowering to harvest?
On average, it takes 100 days from flowering to harvest
When are new vines typically planted?
During their dormant periods, usually between April and May
