Sherry winegrowing

Question 1

Sherry temperature, sunlight

Answer 1

Here’s a more concise version, keeping all the key details:

• Climate: Hot Mediterranean; hot, dry summers, mild, relatively rainy winters.
• Latitude: 36°N, Andalusia, Southern Spain.
• Altitude: Low (0-90m).
• Slopes/Aspect: Most vineyards on gentle slopes (10-15%), slow runoff.
• Proximity to Water: Rivers Guadalquivir and Guadalete slightly mitigate conditions; little ocean influence, no fogs or spring frost issues.
• Winds:
  • Poniente: Cool, damp wind from the Atlantic, important for Sherry maturation, especially in summer.
  • Levante: Hot, drying wind from North Africa (100km south of Jerez), increases heat and wind, concentrates sugars, which can be a challenge for fermentation and flor yeast development.
• Mist/Fogs/Clouds: None, plenty of cloud-free days ensure fully ripe grapes.
• Soils: Albariza (chalky, rich in calcium carbonate).

Question 2

Sherry: water and nutrient availability

Answer 2

• Soils:
  • Albariza:
  • Mix of limestone, silica, clay,
  • formed from aquatic microorganism shells (30 million years ago when the area was underwater)
  • porous structure acts like a sponge, absorbing rainwater and gradually releasing it during the hot, dry growing season.
  • When it dries, it forms a crust, reducing evaporation.
  • Barros: Higher clay content.
  • Arenas: Sandy.
• Slope: Most vineyards on gentle slopes (10-15%), allowing slow runoff.
• Irrigation: None used.
• Rivers: Guadalquivir and Guadalete, slightly mitigating climate effects.

Question 3

Sherry:hazards

Answer 3

high number of cloud-free days = sunburn risk without shading of leaves

pests and diseases - dry = low disease pressure

powdery mildew can be issue (warm spring, humidity after rain)

Question 4

Sherry Considerations in vineyard establishment (site selection: price, location, layout, slopes, irrigation water, cities)

Answer 4

Here’s the condensed version with all the information:

• Law: Grapes must come from the delimited area known as Zona de Producción or Marco de Jerez (7,000 ha), used for DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry, DO Manzanilla – Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and Sherry vinegar.
  • Exception: PX can be grown in Montilla (above Malaga, outside the Zona de Producción) but included in DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry.
• Pagos: Vineyards are divided into pagos, each with distinct characteristics (aspect, location, soils).
• Vineyard spacing: Tight within-row spacing (just over 1m); wider between-row spacing for tractor access.
• Albariza: Soil retains water, allowing higher planting densities and yields (3,500–4,000 vines/ha) compared to La Mancha (1,000–2,000 vines/ha).
  • Yields: Average 70 hL/ha (vs. La Mancha’s 45 hL/ha).

Question 5

Sherry characteristics of Palomino (or Palomino Fino or Listán)

Answer 5

used in most dry and sweetened styles; 97% of vineyard area

• mid-late ripening, well suited to dry, sunny weather (drought resistant)
• can produce high yields
• neutral (good as it doesn’t impart varietal aromas) - good
• loses acidity quickly when near maturity - bad

Question 6

Sherry characteristics of Moscatel - (or Moscatel de Chipiona after the coastal town of Chipiona)

Answer 6

• around Chipiona mostly sandy soils
• used in sweet wines
• late ripening
• well adapted to drought and heat
  aromatic (orange blossom, grape)

Question 7

Sherry characteristics of Pedro Ximénez (PX)

Answer 7

Here’s the condensed version with all the information:

• Pedro Ximénez (PX): Used for sweet Sherry, either as a single variety or with a sweetening agent in other styles.
  • High sugar accumulation: Thrives in hot climates, producing small berries with thin skins, ideal for sun-drying to concentrate sugars.
  • Neutral flavor: The grape is neutral, with flavors coming from drying and maturation.
  • Production: Less than 1% of total production.
  • Legislation: PX can be grown in the Montilla district (Córdoba province) and shipped to the Zona de Producción as fresh/raisined grapes or young wine for blending.

Question 8

Sherry other varieties + rootstocks

Answer 8

New regulations allow introduction of six varieties grown before phylloxera

rootstocks:
mostly 333EM, 41-B and 13-5 EVEX - hybrids of vinifera and berlandieri.
* 13-5 EVEX most successful: developed recently:
* tolerant of limestone (prevents chlorosis)
* drought tolerant
* allows vine to reach rel. high yields

Question 9

Sherry: managing nutrients and water (cover crops, mulching, animal grazing, herbicides, cultivation)

Answer 9

Here’s the information split into bullet points:

• Vineyard slopes: Most vineyards are on gentle slopes (10-15% incline).
• Water management: After harvest, a series of troughs or gullies are created along the contour of the slopes to slow down water runoff.
• Water retention: This helps water have more time to percolate deeply into the soil, preventing it from flowing downslope and out of the vineyard.
• Aserpia technique: The process of creating troughs/gullies is known as aserpia.
• Labor-intensive: Aserpia is very labor-intensive and is mainly done mechanically.
• Reversed in spring: In spring, the process is reversed to prepare the vineyard for the next growing season.

Question 10

Sherry: canopy management, harvest

Answer 10

Here’s the information split into bullet points:

• Albariza soil:
  • Light color reflects sunlight back into the canopy, aiding in ripening.
  • Requires protection from foliage to prevent direct sun exposure.
• Vine training:
  • Traditionally head-trained with replacement cane pruning (vara y pulgar).
  • Increasing use of single/double cordon training with spur pruning, which is more suited to mechanization.
  • VSP (Vertical Shoot Positioning) used for both systems for better aeration and machine adaptability, including shading.
• Harvesting:
  • Around 60% of the harvest is done by machine (mostly at night or early morning to reduce oxidation and microbial spoilage).
  • Harvest starts early, often in the first week of August, to avoid the risk of autumn rain and undesirable rot, especially for biological aging.
  • Harvest finishes by the second week of September in cooler coastal areas, with the warmer inland areas being harvested first.
  • Desired characteristics: 12% potential alcohol, titratable acidity (TA) around 5g/L, and pH between 3.3 and 3.5.
• Palomino:
  • Palomino grapes lose acidity quickly, so acidification may be necessary to maintain balance.

Question 11

Sherry Managing hazards, managing pests and diseases

Answer 11

• risk of sunburn from sun and low rainfall and soils reflecting sunlight
• hot climate = spring frost not issue
• powdery mildew: (warm, humid conditions after any rain)
• VSP to open canopy to prevent;
  when appears, systemic fungicides used
• key pest: European grapevine moth
  managed by pheromone traps