Viticulture-part 1

Question 1

What is clone?

Answer 1

Clones are variants within a grape that differ slightly in terms of morphology and behavior.

Question 2

Which grape variety is thought to be at least 2,000 years old?

Answer 2

Pinot Noir, and as a result many diverse clones exist

Question 3

The highly aromatic pink Gewurztraminer is a mutation of _____________?

Answer 3

Savagnin Blanc

Question 4

How are called the German hybrids grapes, used for their disease resistance and cold tolerance?

Answer 4

Rondo & Regent

Question 5

In which year the phylloxera was spotted in France?

Answer 5

1866

Question 6

Vines was first grafted to rootstocks for phylloxera resistance, what are the other beneficials?

Answer 6

drought tolerance & and resistance to pest and diseases

Question 7

Name 3 North American rootstocks?

Answer 7

*Vitis riparia- troughout central & north America, not drought tolerance, does not do well in lime soils, and is phylloxera resistance.

*Vitis rupestris- native to the south America, it is drought tolerance, phylloxera, nematodes & viruses, (St George is a pure rupestris rootstock).

*Vitis berlandieri- native to deep limestone soils in Texas, and good to use in alkaline soils, develops deep roots and confers some drought and phylloxera tolerance.

Question 8

What are the differences between “climate & weather”?

Answer 8

*Climate refers to the patterns and overall amount of (heat, sunlight, precipitation and wind) that characterize a region, long-term average weather over time.

*Weather describe these properties over a short period, e.g. (what you see from your window).

Question 9

What are the differences between Mediterranean, Maritime & Continental Climates?

Answer 9

*Mediterranean climate have small range between summer & winter temperature, wet winters but receive little rain during the growing season.

*Maritime climate similar to Mediterranean, moderate with small range between summer and winter temperatures, but with rainfall all year round.

*Continental climate, have big differences between Summer and Winter temperatures, and experience the classic four seasons and rain all year round.

Question 10

Name 3 regions with Continental climate?

Answer 10

Burgundy
Mendoza
Wachau

Question 11

Name 3 regions with Mediterranean climate?

Answer 11

Stellenbosch
Galicia
Barossa Valley

Question 12

Name 4 regions with Maritime climate?

Answer 12

Bordeaux
Hawkes Bay
Willamette Valley
Oregon

Question 13

What about Tropical climates?

Answer 13

Little temperature variation trough out the year, such as eastern parts of Australia, Madeira, Canary Islands, often grapes in these climates are made into fortified wines.

Question 14

How warm climate impact the grapes?

Answer 14

Tend to yield fruitier wines, with higher alcohol, lower acidity and softer tannins.

Question 15

How cool climate impact the grapes?

Answer 15

Lower alcohol, higher acidity more astringent tannins, fresh fruit and savory flavors.

Question 16

What does “Diurnal shift” means?

Answer 16

The differences between day time and night time temperature.
In warm climate large diurnal shift is important for wine quality as it seems to preserve acidity and flavor.

Question 17

Growing season average temperature (see the answer)

Answer 17

Question 18

How is the average growing season temperature calculated?

Answer 18

*April to October in the Northern Hemisphere

*October to April in the Southern Hemisphere

Question 19

Sunlight is typically considered important for ____________?

Answer 19

flavor development, light stimulate the production of phenolic compounds like “anthocyanin & tannins”

Question 20

Sunlight also encourages the breakdown of “pyrazine” the green bel pepper flavor associated with grapes such as:

Answer 20

Cabernet Sauvignon & Sauvignon Blanc

Question 21

Why higher latitudes regions receive more sunshine hours?

Answer 21

*due to the longer days

*But sunlight intensity is greater nearer the equator

Question 22

Why rain near the harvest is a problem?

Answer 22

rain near harvest can cause berries to swell and split, resulting in dilution and increased disease pressure.

Question 23

Wine grapes generally grow between 30 & 50 degree latitude! Why not at higher or lower latitudes?

Answer 23

*In lower latitudes the vines don’t experience dormant season.

*In higher latitudes are often to cold for grapes to attain ripeness.

Question 24

Those regions further from the equator often have:

Answer 24

Shorter growing season, but longer days.

Question 25

On what rely higher latitudes vineyards for warming effect?

Answer 25

*Warming from bodies of water and warm air currents.

Question 26

On what rely lower latitudes vineyards for cooling influence?

Answer 26

Higher elevations

Question 27

Hills and Mountains can result in significant climatic diversity, state one factor?

Answer 27

Tends to reduce temperature, but also increases sunlight intensity.

Question 28

What is the calculation for sunlight exposure with altitudes?

Answer 28

For 1000m the sunlight increase with 2%

Question 29

Why mid-slopes sides are often considered best for wine quality?

Answer 29

due to the ideal balance of soil and water conditions, along with good airflow to prevent frost and diseases.

Question 30

Air currents that move along the water can bring cold or warm air into a region and create fog and mist that reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the vines. Give few examples?

Answer 30

*The cooling Humboldt current of Chile, and Benguela current of South Africa *The warm Golf Stream that warms much of Northern Europe.

Question 31

How can spring frost affect the vine?

Answer 31

Can kill young shoots

Question 32

Name few methods for frost mitigation?

Answer 32

*Site selection *Air circulation *Sprinklers *Fans or Helicopters *Heat (Smudge-Pots) *Pruning Methods

Question 33

Name a drought tolerant rootstock?

Answer 33

St. George

Question 34

What is the risk of warm and dry environment regions?

Answer 34

Sunburn, which result in caramelized flavors, and dehydration which concentrates sugar and acid in the fruit and can lead to raisinated flavors.

Question 35

How can a winemaker reduce the risk of sunburn?

Answer 35

By maintaining protective canopy

Question 36

The color of the soils is sometimes said to warm the microclimate of the vine! Light vs Dark colored soils?

Answer 36

*Light colored soils such as the "Albariza" soils of Jerez reflect sunlight back into the fruit zone providing even greater warmth. *Dark colored soils such as the "Slate & Basalt" of the Ahr in Germany absorb heat and radiate it trough the night.

Question 37

In what type of soils are usually found the Parasitic nematodes?

Answer 37

sandy soils

Question 38

PH is a scale of acidity that range from?

Answer 38

0 (very acidic) to 14 (very basic) with water considered neutral at a PH of 7

Question 39

Soil PH range from 3 to 10, at what number the soil is described as acidic?

Answer 39

*Below 6.5 *Neutral soils are 6.5 to 8 *And alkaline (basic) are over 8 From viticultural perspective neutral soils are considered ideal, while those lower than 5 are generally considered to be unsuitable for farming.

Question 40

In what type of soils the PH is above 8.5 with significant lime content?

Answer 40

limestone chalk tufa marlstone marble *These soils are frequently associated with wine quality

Question 41

Vines require 17 essential nutrients for healthy function! Which are the 3 supplied by water?

Answer 41

Carbon Hydrogen Oxygen

Question 42

Vines require 17 essential nutrients for healthy function! Name the most important absorbed trough the soil?

Answer 42

nitrogen phosphorus potassium

Question 43

How the vines are propagated?

Answer 43

From dormant cuttings, which are 12 to 18 cm cane taken from a parent plant.

Question 44

What means (grafting) in the world of wine?

Answer 44

Grafting is vine connection of 2 different species, used to join vinifera to non-vinifera rootstock like puzzle pieces.

Question 45

What means "Layering"?

Answer 45

Traditional method for vine propagation, a shoot from a neighboring vine is laid down into the ground, where it roots and forms new vine that may be separated from the mother vine. Cannot be used in soils with phylloxera.

Question 46

There are 2 major types of grafting in viticulture (bench and field) explain bench grafting?

Answer 46

Two dormant cuttings (the rootstock & cane) are joined together at the nursery usually by machine. Afterward the graft is wrapped to provide support and stored in a warm, damp room to heal for several months.

Question 47

Explain field grafting?

Answer 47

Rootstock is planted in the vineyard in the spring and allowed to grow for an entire season. The cane is then grafted on the top which contains single bud.

Question 48

European vineyards tends to use higher density of planted vines per hectare, what is the common number? What about New World?

Answer 48

10,000 vines per hectare (EU) 1,500 vines per 4,000 square meters (NW)

Question 49

High vs low density planting vineyards?

Answer 49

*High - used to limit vine vigor trough competition and to maximize yields *Low - is more appropriate for vineyards with not enough water supply or for dry-farming such as in many regions of Spain.

Question 50

Cordon-Trained & Spur-Pruned?

Answer 50

This system is also suitable for mechanization. Because these vines have more permanent wood than other systems, they store more water and nutrients and may better tolerate adverse environmental conditions.

Question 51

Head-Trained & Cane-Pruned?

Answer 51

Head-trained, cane-pruned vines typically have one or two canes (though as many as four are possible) attached to the head (top) of the trunk. Guyot is a well-known variation of cane-pruning that includes one spur for each fruiting cane attached directly to the head, called replacement or renewal spurs.

Question 52

Head-Trained & Spur-Pruned

Answer 52

also called bush, gobelet, However, head-trained vines are the least productive and not suitable for mechanization.

Question 53

Which 2 unique training systems are used in Champagne?

Answer 53

Taille Chablis & Vallee de la Marne, that are high yielding and reduce the risk of frost damage

Question 54

What is Pergola trellis system?

Answer 54

Pergola system allows workers to pass below the vines *In humid areas like Rias Baixas pergola trellising promotes airflow and reduces fungal disease pressure. *Pergola, also called tendone in Italy and latada in Spain.