A Practical Guide to Developing a Commercial Wine Vineyard Mark L. Chien Viticulture Educator Penn State Cooperative Extension 1 Table of Contents Foreword Dr. Richard Smart of “Smart Viticulture” i Preface iii Acknowledgements v Introduction 1 Chapter 1 A Great Tradition and Your Personal “Ah-ha” Moment 4 Chapter 2 The Truth about Continental Climate Wine Growing 9 Chapter 3 You and Your Vineyard: Making the Big Decision 12 Chapter 4 Grape and Wine Quality Defined 18 Chapter 5 Time and the Vineyard Timeline 22 Chapter 6 Education: Filling the Knowledge Gap 26 Chapter 7 Farm Safety 40 Chapter 8 The Economics and Business of Grape Growing: The Hard Truth About Money and Vineyards 43 Chapter 9 Important Viticulture Concepts and Principles 59 Chapter 10 Site Selection: The Single Most Important Decision a Grape Grower Will Make 74 Chapter 11 Plant Materials and Nurseries 119 Chapter 12 Vineyard Design 137 Chapter 13 Vineyard Infrastructure 153 Chapter 14 Site Preparation 164 Chapter 15 Planting 175 Chapter 16 Trellis and Training Systems 185 Chapter 17 Equipment and Technology 200 Chapter 18 Vineyard Management and Labor 207 Chapter 19 Post-Planting Vine Care 216 Chapter 20 A Few Words about Sustainable, Organic and Biodynamic Wine Growing 237 Chapter 21 Continuing Education: Becoming a Lifelong Learner 240 2 Chapter 22 The Good Grower 244 Chapter 23 In Vino Veritas: Some Tips Concerning the Winery 247 Reference Resources Author‟s Informal Table of Useful Measurements and Conversions Glossary 3 Foreword I was flattered by Mark Chien‟s invitation to write the foreword for his book. When I received his invitation I had just finished reviewing The Wine Grape Production Guide for Eastern North America (2008) edited by Doctor Tony Wolf of Virginia Tech. In that review I stated how well served the Eastern States of the USA were in their viticulture endeavors by that book. And now, hot on the heels is Mark Chien‟s Practical Guide to Developing a Commercial Wine Vineyard. The grape growers of Eastern USA are doubly blessed. As Mark says his book should be seen as a compliment to that mentioned above. And I believe it is. Mark has written a very down-to-earth and practical book which should be on the bookshelf, and more importantly in the mind, of anyone planning a vineyard investment in the Eastern USA. I have worked with Mark on several occasions and always enjoyed his commitment to his growers and to the Pennsylvania wine sector. He is a charming person, and very dedicated. His frank and forward style of speaking about viticulture is evident in this book, I can almost hear him speaking as I read it. The scope of the book is excellent for beginners in viticulture. There are 21 chapters covering the technology and psychology and sociology of vineyard development. I like Mark‟s emphasis on continuing education. A grower who is not always trying to learn is not prepared to make his or her vineyard as good as it can be. Mark‟s book covers the most important aspects of vineyard development from a reality check about why you want to do it, the harsh truths of vineyard economics, the great importance of site selection (I tell my audience this is more important than spouse selection!) Almost as important is what to plant, and how you will trellis and manage your vineyard. This book is not written as an academic text. Mark is flooded with enquiries from people perhaps just like yourself who are tempted to set out in the business of grape growing in the Eastern USA. You share those aspirations with Thomas Jefferson, but are more likely to succeed because we know now so much more about it than when Jefferson made his first attempts. The eastern USA is not an easy place to grow wine grapes but the rewards in terms of wine quality can be substantial. And, add to that, you live among one of the most important and affluent wine markets in the world. I hope Mark‟s book is a bestseller. It deserves to be, and for those new growers contemplating this significant step in their lives, you are in good hands using the principles contained in this book. Good luck to you, and thanks to Mark for making it that much easier. Dr. Richard Smart Smart Viticulture, Tasmania, Australia 4 Preface I once talked to Lucie Morton, a well-respected, French-trained viticulture consultant in Virginia, about a very high-end vineyard in Virginia that had spent boatloads of money on a state-of-the-art winery and vineyards. And yet the vineyard was plagued with all sorts of problems, including poor soil drainage, and dubious variety, rootstock and trellis choice. I asked Lucie whether it would help if they brought her in now, after the design and development phase, and her response in a nutshell was: No, it’s too late - so many of the critical decisions that impact wine quality have already been made and many of them were wrong, and it would be too difficult or expensive or both, to correct them mid-stream. How could a smart owner spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars developing a vineyard and yet do it wrong? Sadly, it happens all too often. Vineyards are a long-term endeavor and the quality of the wine is determined largely by the quality of the grapes. The pre- plant decisions are the most important ones to the success of the entire enterprise. Every project begins with a knowledge gap – inherently with regard to the site itself, and almost always for those intending to plant the vineyard. It is up to the owner to figure out how to fill that void. The beginning is precisely the time to seek expert advice and build a knowledge base that will determine the quality of the wine, from the first bottle to the one made 25 years from now. Even with the most rigorous research and preparation, however, there are plenty of upfront unknowns. Will anyone buy the wine? Will the critics praise it? Will you be able to recoup your investment? Your success depends on what you decide to do now. Vineyards are sensitive and complex living organisms where little things may make a big difference and you can never pay too much attention to detail. They are also business enterprises that require skill in bookkeeping and marketing. Our society underestimates and lacks appreciation for the tenacity, skill, and passion of the farmer. You will have to bring multiple skill sets to bear on a vineyard to have any hope of succeeding. While much about the grapevine is not yet understood, what we do know must be exploited to the fullest extent possible, especially when dealing with the difficult climate conditions of eastern North America. Give yourself plenty of time therefore to navigate the planning and development process. This will pay large dividends in the short and long term, and in what ends up in the glass. This manual is a compendium of what I have learned over twenty years as a wine grower and ten as a viticulture extension educator. In my experience the most creative and innovative practitioners push quality further and faster than the best efforts of scientists to improve or explain viticultural results in field. A great deal of the information presented here is anecdotal – i.e., derived from what appears to work in the field, based on what I have observed in my own vineyard and learned from some of the best wine growers in the world and blended with some of the best viticulture research in currently available. Remember that it constitutes one viticultural perspective among many. Your job is to find the best information for your site and to apply it thoughtfully and correctly. I invite you to visit the Pennsylvania Wine Grape Network website at http://pawinegrape.com for more wine growing information and an archive of articles and newsletters. Good luck, and above all, have fun. 5 Acknowledgements I have had an exciting and fulfilling career in agriculture and wine that started with a love of wandering in the vineyards in the Rheingau region of Germany. I thank Helmut and Margot Ringsdorf, and Heinz-Wilhelm Dongess and Ulla Brunn for getting me in touch with the romance of wine and vineyards. When I look back, over three decades of adventures in winegrowing, I have been blessed and informed by a remarkably diverse, generous, interesting and fun group of people. This book tries to summarize what I have learned from them. Every day I encounter more people who love wine and want to grow it so I try to use what I have learned to help them to help others. So many people have inspired me over the years but I think of great wine growers from Christian Mouiex at Chateau Petrus, Jeff Newton in Santa Barbara, Ted Casteel in Oregon, Jim Law in Virginia and so many others who helped me to connect the dots between the elements and the wine. Richard Smart has probably done more to improve wine quality around the world than any other individual. He is always an inspiration to wine growers. This manual could not have been written without the help of many people. Lucie Morton, Steve Mudd, Jeff Newton, Nelson Stewart, and Rutger de Vink submitted to lengthy interviews to make sure this manual was relevant. 43 wine growers and extension educators helped by filling out the vineyard manual survey. Ed Boyce, Kevin Ker, Jim Law, Dr. Tim Martinson, and Mike Walsh were so gracious to agree to review the book when asked just as the 2009 vintage got underway.