Grape Growing, Viticulture & Terminology

Question 1

Fill in the blank:

The growing season for a vine begins in which season?

Answer 1

spring

Question 2

Fill in the blank:

The growing season ends for a vine in ______.

Answer 2

autumn

Question 3

Why do vines grow grapes?

Answer 3

So animals that eat the fruit will spread the grapes’ seeds.

Animals that eat grapes include deer and birds.

Question 4

During which season are vines dormant?

Answer 4

Winter

Question 5

Are most wines in the world made with European or North American vine species and what is the name of this species?

Answer 5

European vine species named Vitis vinifera.

Question 6

Name some commonly found Vitis Vinifera varieties.

Answer 6

• Sauvignon Blanc
• Pinot Grigio
• Riesling
• Chardonnay
• Syrah
• Grenache
• Merlot
• Cabernet Sauvigon

Question 7

Name the 4 major parts of a grape.

Answer 7

1. Pulp
2. Skin
3. Seeds
4. Stems

Question 8

Which 3 parts of the grape produce tannins?

Answer 8

1. Skins
2. Seeds
3. Stems

Question 9

What flavor can tannins produce?

Answer 9

bitterness

Question 10

What is the pulp of a grape mostly made up of?

Answer 10

water

Question 11

Where does the sugar in grape juice come from?

Answer 11

pulp

The pulp is also composed of acids and flavor compounds.

Question 12

What part of the grape do most red wines get their color from?

Answer 12

The skins of grapes

Question 13

How many years can a vine live?

Answer 13

If it’s in a healthy environment, a vine can live more than 60 years and upwards of 100 years.

Question 14

What are the 5 things a vine needs to remain alive and flourish?

Answer 14

1. Sunlight
2. Warmth
3. Carbon dioxide
4. Water
5. Nutrients

Question 15

What is the name of the process when a vine’s leaves take in CO2 gas from the air and its roots take up water and nutrients from the ground to produce sugar, or energy, for the vine to grow and ripen its grape?

Answer 15

photosynthesis

Photosynthesis cannot happen without sunlight.

Question 16

List a vine’s annual cycle.

Answer 16

1. Flowering: spring
2. Fruit set: early summer
3. Véraison: summer
4. Ripening time: summer/late summer
5. Harvest: late summer/early autumn
6. Dormancy: winter

Question 17

In which months does flowering happen in the northern and southern hemispheres?

Answer 17

• Northern hemisphere: May/June
• Southern hemisphere: November/December

Essentially, flowering happens in each hemisphere’s spring.

Question 18

How are the flowers of grape vines pollinated?

Answer 18

Vines rely on the wind to pollinate their flowers

Question 19

For flowers to turn into grapes, does each flower need to be pollinated or can just one flower in the cluster be pollinated?

Answer 19

Each flower must be pollinated in order to change into a grape.

Question 20

When does fruit set happen and what happens during this process?

Answer 20

• Fruit set happens after pollination
• Once pollinated a flower develops seeds and starts to grow; it looks like a tiny green berry
• These berries will develop and turn into grapes

Question 21

What is véraison and when does it occur?

Answer 21

Véraison is the onset of ripening which occurs mid-summer.

Red varieties turn from green to purple or black, and sugars increase while acidity levels decrease.

Question 22

Fill in the blank:

Before ripening, grapes are high in _____ and low in _____.

Answer 22

high in acid, low in sugar

Question 23

Fill in the blank:

As grapes ripen, acidity levels _____ and sugar levels _____.

Answer 23

acidity levels decrease, sugar levels increase

It is during this ripening period that a grape’s aromatics will develop as well.

Question 24

What chemical compound develops in black grapes during ripening?

Answer 24

tannins

Tannins are chemical compounds that augment the mouthfeel of a wine, adding texture and astringency (tannins dry out your mouth).

Tannins primarily come from the skins of grapes, but they also can come from the seeds and stems.

Question 25

If grapes remain on the vine **after the time they're usually harvested**, what happens to them?

Answer 25

The grapes will develop **"extra-ripeness"** ## Footnote This means that the levels of both aromas and sugars will magnify and concentrate.

Question 26

What happens to grapes if they are **left to raisinate** on the vine?

Answer 26

* **Water in the grapes evaporates** thereby concentrating acids and sugars; * **Aromas in the grape change** from ripe/fresh to dried/dimpled. ## Footnote Raisinated grapes are most often used to make sweet wines, not dry wines.

Question 27

List **3 ways** to concentrate grape sugars to make sweet wine.

Answer 27

1. Extra-ripeness 2. Botrytis 3. Frozen grapes

Question 28

What is **Botrytis/noble rot**?

Answer 28

Botrytis is a **fungus** that grows on the outside of grapes that can cause noble rot.

Question 29

What does **Botrytis/noble rot** do to the grapes after it punctures the grape skins?

Answer 29

It causes the water inside the grape to **evaporate**, thereby concentrating sugars, flavors, and acids.

Question 30

What are the **optimal conditions** for Botrytis/noble rot to form?

Answer 30

Botrytis fungus requires **misty mornings or humid conditions** followed by **warm, dry afternoons.** ## Footnote The dry afternoons slow the growth of Botrytis and prevent it from completely rotting the grapes.

Question 31

What **style of wine** is usually made with grapes affected by Botrytis?

Answer 31

Dessert wine

Question 32

# Fill in the blank: Botrytis-affected grapes are almost always used to make \_\_\_\_ wines.

Answer 32

sweet

Question 33

Give a classic **example of a wine** whose grapes are affected by Botrytis.

Answer 33

* Sauternes (Bordeaux, France) * Aszú (Tokaj, Hungary)

Question 34

What happens to healthy grapes when they are **left on the vine to freeze** and they're picked when frozen?

Answer 34

1. The water inside the grapes **freezes** 2. The grapes are then **pressed and separated** from the sugary liquid 2. This sugary **liquid is fermented** to make the sweet wine Icewine/Eiswein ## Footnote The sugary liquid is intensely high in acids, flavor, and sugar.

Question 35

What is the difference between **training and pruning**?

Answer 35

* **Training:** How the vine is supported and arranged to optimize sunlight and productivity. * **Pruning:** Removal of plant parts to control size and form of the vine, optimize production potential, and achieve balance between vegetative growth (the leaves) and fruit.

Question 36

How are **most** vines trained?

Answer 36

On trellises

Question 37

During **which season** are vines usually pruned?

Answer 37

Vines are usually **pruned in the winter** when they're dormant.

Question 38

Why do farmers **prune** their vines?

Answer 38

* Help maintain their **shape** * Balance **fruit production** and shoot growth

Question 39

Name **2 ways** farmers can irrigate their vines.

Answer 39

1. **Drip** irrigation 2. **Flood** irrigation

Question 40

What are some of the things that can **sabotage** a healthy vineyard?

Answer 40

* Insects * Fungi * Weeds * Birds * Deer

Question 41

From which **2 things** does netting protect vines?

Answer 41

1. **Birds** **and other pests** that eat the berries 2. **Hail** that can damage the berries and vine

Question 42

# Fill in the blank: Pesticides kill \_\_\_\_\_, fungicides kill \_\_\_\_\_, and herbicides kill \_\_\_\_\_.

Answer 42

insects, fungi, weeds

Question 43

What exactly is **yield**?

Answer 43

Yield is the **amount of grapes produced** per planted vineyard area (acre or hectare). Typically yield is given in hl/ha (hectoliters per hectare). ## Footnote An average yield is 40-60 hectoliters per hectare

Question 44

What happens to grape flavors if a vineyard's yields are **too high**?

Answer 44

Grapes could have **low sugar and/or loss of flavor due to overproduction**.

Question 45

If too few grapes are grown (read: if a crop is too small), what might that mean for that given vintage?

Answer 45

That year's crop might be **too small to be commercially viable**.

Question 46

Name **2 ways** how grapes are harvested.

Answer 46

1. By hand 2. Machine

Question 47

What **kind of terrain** is machine harvesting best used on?

Answer 47

Flat land ## Footnote It's nearly impossible to use machine harvesters on slopes.

Question 48

What attributes will grapes have if they're **harvested early**?

Answer 48

* Higher acidity * Lower sugar * Under-developed/under-ripe fruit flavors * More grassy and herbaceous flavors

Question 49

What attributes will grapes have if they're **harvested later than normal**?

Answer 49

* Lower acidity * Higher sugar * Riper fruit flavors

Question 50

Besides the producer, appellation, and vintage, what are some **common labeling terms** found on wine bottles?

Answer 50

* Old Vine/Vieilles Vignes * Late Harvest/Vendanges Tardives * Icewine/Eiswein * Botrytis

Question 51

What does the term **Old Vine** or **Vieilles Vignes** indicate on a bottle of wine?

Answer 51

That the vines are **older** and, assumingly, grow grapes that express **higher flavor concentration**. ## Footnote To achieve the distinction of Old Vine/Vieilles Vignes, a vine usually has to be at least 35 years old but there is no legally defined age minimum.

Question 52

If you have two bottles with the same vintage but they're from different hemispheres, **which wine will be older:** the one from the northern hemisphere or the one from the southern hemisphere?

Answer 52

southern hemisphere ## Footnote The southern hemisphere harvests their grapes about 6 months before the northern hemisphere does, so the wine techincally is older than the one from the northern hemisphere.

Question 53

# True or False: Wines labeled **Late Harvest** are always sweet.

Answer 53

False ## Footnote Late Harvest wines can be dry, off-dry, medium-sweet or sweet. They are fuller in body and more concentrated in sugars and flavors than wines made from grapes harvested at the regular time.