Viticulture & Vinification Flashcards
What decisions does the viticulturist confront? (8)
Vine training Pruning methods Canopy management Fertilization Irrigation Harvest dates Disease control Monitors development of vineyard in general
What are the 6 stages of a vine’s lifecycle in order?
Budbreak Flowering Fruit Set Véraison Harvest Post-Harvest (pruning)
Budbreak occurs as the average temperature suprasses what temperature in F? When does this usually occur in the Northern Hemisphere? What is produced during this stage? What marks the end of this stage prior to flowering?
50F
Usually occurs in March or April
The first small shoots and leaves will break through the buds
The formation of small green clusters called embryo bunches form marking the end of budbreak and beginning of flowering
During budbreak the vine is most susceptible to what vineyard hazard?
Frost
When does flowering typically occur in relation to budbreak? What three hazards is the vine most susceptible at this point?
Occurs 6-13 weeks after the initial budbreak depending on the climate
Damaging effects of cold, frost, and wind
What stage follows flowering? What is each grape the product of during this?
Fruit Set follows flowering
Each grape is the product of individual fertilization
What percentage of embryos achieve fruit set? What happens to the rest? What happens to the fruit during this stage leading up to veraison?
around 30%
The rest “shatter” falling from the cluster.
The berries enlarge through July and remain hard, high in acidity and low in sugar leading up to véraison
When does veraison typically occur in the northern hemisphere? What happens to the grapes? Does this happen to all grapes on a cluster uniformly?
Typically begins in August
Sugars are moved from the leaf system into the fruit and the grapes soften and change color.
This does not happen uniformly and uneven ripening is not uncommon.
Which grape is notorious for ripening unevenly?
Zinfandel
In addition to the grapes ripening, what else ripens in tandem?
Cane ripening occurs in tandem with grape ripening.
When are grapes ready for harvest? When does this begin at its earliest? Latest?
When the grapes have achieved the optimal balance of sugar and acid they are ready for harvest.
Begins as early as late August and may last through the beginning of November in cooler climates.
Which grapes are generally harvested first, red or white?
Whites are generally harvested first.
What does phenolic ripeness refer to?
Ripeness of tannin and seed lignification
After harvest what happens to the vines?
They lose their leaves and enter a period of winter dormancy
Fertilizer may be applied in the fall after harvest, and the vines will be pruned over in the winter to prepare them for next year’s growth.
What is the difference between climate and weather?
Climate encompasses expected temperature, rainfall, sunshine, wind, and other atmospheric elements, and remains stable form year to year
Weather is the daily manifestation of climate and generally responsible for vintage variation.
For temperature, what does the vine prefer as a mean annual range in F? What summer temperature do grapevines require on average to successfully ripen red grapes? White grapes? What parallels does this generally restrict viticulture to?
Prefers a mean range of 50-68F with an ideal temp of 57 F
Red grapes require an average temp of 70F
Whites require an average temp of 66 F
What is the California Heat Summation Index?
Sometimes known as the Winkler scale
Method for classifying climates solely by temperature
How are degree days calculated for the California Heat Summation Index (Winkler Scale)?
Calculated by multiplying the days in each month of the growing season (April 1-October 30) by the mean number of degrees over 50 F for that month. The months’ totals are then added up to come up with the number of degree days.
What are the six Regions for the CHSI and what are their corresponding degree day value ranges?
Region Ia (1500-2000) Region Ib (2000-2500) Region II (2500-3000) Region III (3000-3500) Region IV (3500-4000) Region V (4000-4900)
What is the minimum amount of sunshine required to support viticulture in hours?
Approximately 1300 hours
Sunshine during the growing season (increases/decreases) the further one moves away from the equator.
Increases the further you move away from the equator.
How much annual rainfall does a vine require to produce an adequate crop?
20-30 inches annually
When do Mediterranean climates receive most rainfall seasonally?
Winter and spring
What happens when too little rain is received by the vine? How does this affect berry size and ripening?
Water stress will occur and this promotes smaller berry size, too much stress and the vine will shut down interrupting ripening.