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Home , Canopy (grape), Grape, Old World wine, Vine training, Vintage

Growing

The Winegrower or Viticulturist

The Winegrower’s Craft into . Today, one person may fill both • In summer, the winegrower does roles, or frequently a will employ a thinning, removing excess foliage to • Decades ago, winegrowers learned their person for each role. expose the sets, and green craft from previous generations, and they , taking off extra bunches, to rarely tasted with other or control the ’s yields and to ensure explored beyond their village. The Winegrower’s Tasks quality is produced. Winegrowers continue treatments, eliminate weeds and • In winter, the winegrower begins pruning • Today’s winegrowers have advanced trim to expose fruit for maximum and this starts the vegetative cycle of the degrees in enology and agricultural . Winegrowers control with vine. He or she will take vine cuttings for sciences, and they use knowledge of soil netting and automated cannons. chemistry, geology, climate conditions and indoor onto which are plant heredity to grow that best planted as new vines in the spring, a year • In fall, as grapes ripen, levels express their . later. The winegrower turns the soil to and color increases as acidity drops. aerate the base of the vines. The winegrower checks sugar levels • Many of today’s winegrowers are continuously to determine when to begin influenced by different from around • In spring, the winegrower removes the picking, a critical decision for the wine. the and have worked a stagé (an mounds of earth piled against the base In many areas, the risk of rain, hail or apprenticeship of a few months or a of the vines to protect against frost. frost is an ever-present danger. A month ) in regions around the world. He or she will plant year-old nursery later, winegrowers cover the base of the cuttings and tie down canes on wires. vines with soil to protect against frost. • A little more than a generation ago, In frost-prone regions like Chablis and The winegrower will spread manure and in many wine regions, the roles of , winegrowers run heaters and gather the year’s winegrower and were in the vineyards at night. If needed, the for burning. separate; the former grew grapes and winegrower applies treatments against the latter, either a négociant or a winery, oidium, mildew and insects. would buy the grapes and vinify them

Methods of

Vine Training & Pruning

Bush or Gobelet Cordon de Royat Guyot Pergola In Mediterranean or hot wine In cool-climate regions, vines Double Guyot is Bordeaux’s In Spain’s Galicia, with its cool, regions, vines are bush trained are wire-trained on trellises and favored training system while it’s wet Atlantic conditions; in the (called bush in , are pruned in Cordon or Guyot single Guyot in Burgundy, for Pinot warm, of gobelet in southern France, systems, or variations like Smart- Noir and . Increasingly, some areas of southern , en vaso in Spain, alberello in Dyson. Vegetation and grape Burgundians are using Cordon for and Greece; and in Italy’s cooler southern Italy and Sicily). The production are easier to control, Pinot due to better bunch spacing regions of Trentino and Emilia- protect bunches from harsh but since leaf and bunch exposure and more controlled harvest. Romagna, winegrowers often use sunlight and receive light from are fixed, vineyards are planted pergola training, where vines are any orientation. These tend to in a specific orientation. These tied to an overhead structure. be older, low-density vineyards. tend to be high-density vineyards. (1,000-5,000 vines/hectare) (9,000-12,000+ vines/hectare) Propagation • Flood irrigation is an ancient method still Harvest used in desert areas to make bulk wines. • Generic clones available from commercial from a supply canal is diverted • Although slow and labor intensive, nurseries have been bred for maximum to vine rows, where it’s absorbed by the handpicking minimizes damage and production rather than distinct character soil. Furrow irrigation used in allows for more stringent selection of and are not specific to any region or area, is similar but provides greater control. grape bunches. unlike indigenous grapes. • Machine harvesting is costly but is • Many winegrowers see great value in faster and can be done at night in cool maintaining the genetic identity of their temperatures. The latest machines are oldest vines, which have adapted to sophisticated, able to gently harvest vineyards over centuries and produce low without damaging grapes and also yields of small, concentrated . allow a selection in the .

• Most wine regions don’t allow irrigation, which is often permitted in regions.

Canopy Management • Common practices by winegrowers • Many winegrowers and/or to propagate their best vines include • Regardless of methods winemakers feel that the decision of Selection Massale, where cuttings taken used, management is crucial to when to pick is one of the two most from a number of the best old vines the final quality of the grapes. An optimal important during the year; the other are used to plant new vines, and clonal ratio of leaves to bunches is maintained is what temperature to ferment at. selection, where a cutting from a single so the vine’s vigor isn’t wasted on Alcohol and acidity are measured vine is used for replanting. In both cases, superfluous vegetation. and the grapes are tasted to give the winemakers identify “mother vines” with • In the summer, excessive shoots are winemaker a sense of ripeness and superior quality attributes (low yields, trimmed or thinned to ensure an ideal the quality of . In many great small berries, resistance to disease, etc.) number of bunches per vine and for wine regions, there is a constant to be replicated in new vines. proper bunch spacing, and leaf pulling is risk of hail, frost and rain which can performed early in the season to reduce damage or destroy the harvest. unwanted vegetation. Irrigation • Three types of irrigation systems are used for vineyards: drip, sprinkler and flood. Drip and sprinkler systems provide precise watering; a flood system is less accurate. • Drip irrigation, also called trickle irrigation, employs long, plastic supply lines that are placed along each row, one dripper per vine. • In addition to canopy management, many • Sprinkler irrigation, similar to crop- winegrowers do a “green harvest” to watering systems, utilizes a network improve the wine quality and encourage of heads about 20 meters (65 ft.) apart ripening. In mid- to late summer, some which water several rows of vines. bunches are removed from the vine. The remaining bunches ripen more quickly with an improved leaf-to-fruit ratio.

What is Terroir? Soil • Topography affects climate conditions; grapes planted on south-facing slopes • The concept of terroir comes from the • A vineyard with poor, shallow topsoil in the northern hemisphere (the reverse French expression goût de terroir (“ of with good drainage is ideal. for southern hemisphere) have greater the earth”) which asserts that every great warmth and sun exposure. Grapes vineyard’s distinct identity and sense of planted close to water enjoy more place is expressed in the aroma and humidity and moderated temperatures. characteristics of its wines. • Terroir is a vineyard’s unique combination of soil, topography, climate and : Climate and Microclimate all physical and environmental factors that • All wine is grown between 30–50° affect the vine. latitude north and south of the equator. • “Non-interventionist” or “natural” • Vines should be forced to grow a deep • Optimal conditions: minimal frosts in the winemakers feel that terroir can be and extensive system that reaches winter, mild spring, hot sunny summer, superceded by techniques down to -rich subsoil. long dry autumn. Climate conditions and insist on doing as little as possible in during the growing season can greatly the winery to affect the character of the • Richer soils a greater quantity of affect the quality of the . vineyard, the grapes and the wine. grapes at the expense of quality. • Terroir is a traditional “Old World” concept that has spread to “New World” regions like California, Argentina and New Zealand. Topography • Many winemakers feel a necessary • Topography refers to the physical component of great terroir is observation features and geography of an area’s over time. surface: altitude, slope, sun exposure and proximity to water. • Old World winemakers have cultivated from terroir in France, Italy and Spain • Many of the world’s finest wine regions for centuries; New World winemakers are situated at the limits of cultivation have comparatively just started but are (Champagne, Burgundy, Alta and learning fast. ) where cool, wet climate conditions enhance acidity levels but • Burgundies are the best example of wines often bring frost and hail. that express specific vineyard terroir. Burgundy’s system is a quality • Training systems, row spacing and hierarchy based strictly on the location of canopy trimming can impact a vineyard’s vineyard terroir. See diagram below. microclimate by affecting the vine’s exposure to sun.

Relative Positions of Different and Vineyards in Burgundy

Woodland or Scrub Grand Crus Boundary of the Vine Growing Area Premier Crus Grand Crus Premier Crus Premier Crus Communal Appellations Communal Hard Limestone Appellation Marl Regional Limestone and Fossils Appellation Friable Limestone, Clay or Boundary of the Shist, Hard Limestone Vine Growing Area Sandy Limestone Regional Appellations A year in the life of a vine

Spring New shoots emerge from the vine, and there follows a period of rapid growth during which frost is a serious concern. Year-old nursery cuttings are planted. Near the end of spring, the vines begin to flower (floraison) which completes within 10 days. Fruit set is the delicate stage after flowering, when the flower transitions to grape. This critical period is a major determinant of the crop size and quality. Normally, harvest takes place around 100 days after flowering.

Winter The dormant vines are completely without leaves. Cuttings are taken for indoor grafting Summer onto rootstocks to be planted as new vines Berries grow and change color; warm, sunny in the spring a year later. The vines awaken weather is desirable. At the end of summer, and sap begins to rise. At the end of winter, grape sugar levels and color increase as budbreak begins. acidity levels drop. Early-ripening varieties (e.g. , , and ) are picked.

Autumn Harvesting continues with later-ripening varieties (e.g. , ). The harvest is usually complete by mid-October. The sap recedes and the vine becomes dormant. At the end of autumn, winter pruning begins in some regions.