Viticulture Flashcards
Understanding how grapes are grown and where, and the impact on style these factors may play.
As grapes ripen, what changes occur?
- The grapes swell with water,
- The sugar level in the grapes increases,
- Acidity falls,
- Flavors become more ripe,
- The color deepens
How long can a grape vine live?
Several decades or more
How often will a grape vine produce fruit?
In non-tropical climates, grape vines produce fruit once a year.
Describe flowering for a grape vine.
Each flower will become an individual grape, and many flowers make up a cluster.
What is the color of a grape when it first forms?
Green
As they mature, describe the color change of black grapes…
They start as green grapes and turn purple once fully ripe.
Between which latitudes do grapes grow best?
The best latitudes for grapes are 30° to 50° in both the northern and southern hemispheres.
True or False:
Cool climate regions are closer to the equator.
False
Cool climates are closer to the poles, and farther away from the equator.
Which grapes are more commonly found in cooler climates?
And which are found in warmer climates?
White wine grapes are more common in cooler regions, and black grapes in warmer regions.
Having said that, there are cool climate red grapes (e.g. pinot noir) and warm climate white grapes (e.g. chenin blanc), so this is not an exclusive rule.
What effect does a cool climate have on the characteristics of grapes…
Cool climates typically produce grapes (and therefore wines) with lower levels of sugar and higher acidity.
(And in warmer climates, sugars are often higher and acids lower.)
Sunlight is more intense in which type of climate?
Typically in warmer climate regions.
What is the act or process of growing grapes called?
Viticulture
