Viticulture Flashcards
(251 cards)
The grower or viticulturalist confronts decisions on-
vine training and pruning methods, canopy management, fertilization and irrigation, harvest dates, and disease control; and monitors the development of the vineyard
The annual life cycle of the vine begins in the spring, with -
budbreak
The vine, will start “__” or “__” watery sap from pruned canes sometime in February (in the Northern Hemisphere)
weeping, bleeding
The vine will finally emerge from dormancy as the average air temperature surpasses-
50°F
Budbreak usually occurs in-
March or April
During budbreak the first small shoots and leaves will break through buds left intact by __
winter pruning
What is the vine vulnerable to during budbreak?
frost
The vine’s foliage continues to develop through the early spring, and small green clusters called __ form on the shoots by mid-April
embryo bunches
Flowering occurs __ weeks after the initial budbreak, depending on the climate
6-13
During flowering, the embryo bunches bloom into small flowers for about 10 days, and the self-pollinating grapevine begins the process of-
fertilization, which leads to fruit set
As the vine flowers, it is extremely susceptible to the damaging effects of-
cold, frost, and wind
Successfully pollinated embryo bunches grow into true grape clusters during __—each grape is the product of individual fertilization
fruit set
Fruit set usually hovers around __%—the remaining embryo berries “shatter,” falling from the cluster
30
As the berries enlarge through July, they remain-
hard, high in acidity and low in sugar
In August, however, __ begins and the grapes begin to truly ripen, as sugars are moved from the leaf system to the fruit
veraison (véraison)
During veraison, the grapes soften and change color—turning from green to red-black or yellow-green— and__ decreases
acidity
While veraison swiftly affects an individual grape, it may not __ a whole bunch
evenly affect
Some varieties, such as __, are characterized by extremely uneven ripening, in which veraison haphazardly affects each bunch
Zinfandel
__ occurs in tandem with veraison
Cane ripening
Describe Cane ripening
the stems on each shoot begin to lignify, accumulating carbohydrates to sustain the plant through the winter
Once the grapes have achieved an optimal balance of sugar and acid, they are ready for __
harvest (vendange)
Harvest, by either manual or mechanical means, begins as early as late__, and may last through the beginning of__.
August, November
__ grapes are generally harvested before__ grapes
White, red
Some white grapes destined for the specialized botrytised dessert wines or icewine may hang on the vine until-
late November or December