WSET Diploma D1 Approaches to Grape Growing CH4 Flashcards
What Factors does Contemprary Viticultue take into account
- World View and Ethical issues
- Desired level of production
- Intended Wine Quality
- Cost
- Availability of labor
- Economic Impact
What are the 5 Types of Viticulture
- Conventional (Production oriented - mechanisation, chemical inputs, irrigation, clonal selection)
- Sustainable (enviornmental impact focus, promote natural ecosystems, maintain biodiversity, manage waste, minimise chemicals and energy use, reduce impact of viticulture on wider enviornment)
- Organic (improve soil in vineyards, range of microbes and animals such as earthworms rejects synthetic manucatured fertilizers, fugicides, pesticides, herbicides. Increase heath and disease resistance of the vine. Compost, Cover Crops, Natural Fertilizers, Reduction of Monoculture)
- Biodynamic (Organic prcatices, but also incorporates philosoph and cosmology, “soil is one with the earth, adapt grape growing practices to cycles of planets, moon and stars)
- Precision (Very technological, uniform approach in vineyard, censors collect data in vineyards of soil, vine vigour, topography, plant growth, to respond to changes plot to plot or row to row. Intention is all intervention carried out to produce best quality and yield, reduce enviornmental impact, and cut costs on treatments when possible)
What is the goal of Conventional Viticultue (Monoculture)
What are advantages and disadvantages
The goal is production oriented, to raise production and minimize labor requirments
More Machines, More agrochemicals, more Mineral Fertelizers
Advantages
- Mechanise work in vineyard
- Reduction of competition from other plants
- tend specific needs of grape varieties planted (irrigation, nutrition level, treatements against hazards, pests, and diseases)
Disadvantages
- Plants more prone to diseases (common fungal disease) and pests, need more treatment for protection. Because it spreads more quickly in monoculture, all plants affected simutaneously
- Nutrients can be depleted, no natural ecosystem to replenish. More fertilizer required
- Residual chemicals from treatments find way into ground, create enviornmental damage
- More cost on treatments
- Increased worry for grape growers, consumers, legislatures
What is the goal of Sustainable Viticultue
What are advantages and disadvantages
Goal is to limit enviornmental impact focus, promote natural ecosystems, maintain biodiversity, manage waste, minimise chemicals and energy use, reduce impact of viticulture on wider enviornment
Growers indepth knowledge of lifecycles of vineyards and pests, and monitor weather.
Integrated pest management - know when to look for pest, what signs to look for, know damage it does, how to calculate thresholds and treat when warranted (anticipation to boost vines defense, ecofriendly)
Advantages
- More thoughtful approach to grape growing, attention to economic, social, and enviornmental impact of viti.
- Deployment of scientific understanding of the threats (pests & diseases) to minimise intervention
- Cost saving incentive for grape growers more substianable
What is the goal of Organic Viticultue
What are advantages and disadvantages
Goal is to improve soil in vineyards, range of microbes and animals such as earthworms rejects synthetic manucatured fertilizers, fugicides, pesticides, herbicides. Increase heath and disease resistance of the vine.
Compost, slow release for nutrients
Cover Crops, prevent soil erosion, improvement of soil life
Natural Fertilizers, restore balance to vineyard
Reduction of Monoculture, covercrops, planting hedges, establishing ‘island of biodiversity
Use sulfur to combat diseases
Use natural predators to advantage (fire ants)
Sexual Confusion techniques, pheremone tags or capsules to disrupt mating pattens of insects (moths, mealy bugs) limiting population
IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements)
Europe leads with 84% of Organic viti in the world
Advantages
- Improvement of health and disease resistance of vine
- Improvement of soil health
- Eliminates spraying synthetic chemical
- Saving on cost of synthetic chemicals
Disadvantages
- small reduction in yield generally
- Significant reduction in yield in bad years, vintage focused (long periods of rainfall or high humidity)
- Increased reliance on copper sprays, high build up of metal in soils
- Cost and time expended on certification
Cost/Benefit still at very early stage
What is the goal of Biodynamic Viticultue
What preparations are used and goal
What are advantages and disadvantages
Organic practices, but also incorporates philosophy and cosmology, “soil is one with the earth, adapt grape growing practices to cycles of planets, moon and stars
Ex. Moon asending, summer mood evokes, sap rising appropriate time to take cuttings for grafting
Preparations used to fertilize soils, treat diseases, ward off pests, enhance and strengthen life on farm.
500 (Horn Manure)
501 (Horn Slica)
Compost, believe biodynamic compost has to be ‘activated; by a series of starters added in tiny quantities
Sulphur and copper sprays, ashing
Advantages
Similar to organic
Disadvantages
Similar to organic
Additional Labor
What is the goal of Precision Viticultue
What are advantages and disadvantages
Very technological, uniform approach in vineyard, censors collect data in vineyards of soil, vine vigour, topography, plant growth, to respond to changes plot to plot or row to row. Intention is all intervention carried out to produce best quality and yield, reduce enviornmental impact, and cut costs on treatments when possible
Advantages
- detailed understanding of variations in vineyard that affect yield and quality, able to see between and within vineyards
- ability to tailor wide range of interventions to individual blocks or even rows (rootstock variety, canopy management, treatments, harvest dates)
Disadvantages
- Initial cost of remote data collection
- Cost of sensors and software, or consultants
