Bordeaux vineyards are usually densely planted with vines trained low to the ground to benefit from reflected heat off the gravel soil below. The elite Chateaux keep their vines at a high age by carefully planning their planting cycles. Machine harvesting is widely used now in Bordeaux. The exception to this is the botrytized sweet […]
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Noble Rot is a form of the botrytis cinerea fungus that can form some of the greatest sweet dessert wines in the world. For this to happen, the exact right conditions must develop, and there are only a few places in the world where this happens, most notably in Bourdeaux (Sauternes) and Germany. It requires […]
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Most diseases these days can be combated by spraying the vines protectively throughout the growing season. This is usually done by tractor, although in extreme cases helicopters or planes can be used. Diseases take the form of mildew, rot, or other long term diseases.
Mildew comes in two main forms, Powdery, and Downy. Powdery Mildew, also […]
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Phylloxera is a bug that feeds on a vine’s roots. It is an aphid native to North America, and its effect on wine production is legendary. In the 1860’s phylloxera managed to make its way over to Europe and proceeded to devastate European vineyards. In much the same way that Europeans brought viruses that […]
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There are several different pests that can affect grape growing, and increase the cost of production. The most important of these is Phylloxera, which I’ll discuss in a separate post. In addition there are the following threats:
Grape Moths: These are caterpilars that attack the buds in springtime and the grapes when they grow. These pests […]
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As I’ve noted earlier, the amount of grapes a vine produces can have a direct effect on the quality of the grapes produced. If vines are allowed to produce too many grapes, the amount of sugar will be spread among those grapes and diluted too much to make good wine. In Europe, yield rates are […]
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After Pruning, the canes still remaining will be trained. There are 4 basic types of training systems, and one will be chosen based on the climate of the vineyard, and the yield required. The purpose of training is to control the way the grapes and leaf cover are exposed to the sun. In a vineyard […]
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The primary purposes of pruning is to select which buds will form shoots for the upcoming harvest and to prepare the vine for the fruiting process in harvests in the future. Pruning can also help control the number of buds, which has a direct effect on the yield of a vine, another factor that can […]
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Vine planting is a complicated process. This makes it difficult for winemakers to keep up with trends, because it can take up to 5 years from first planting before they can successfully harvesty grapes to make wine. Vines are planted to either replace old vines, or start new vineyards. Almost all vines consist of a […]
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Viticulture is everything that happens in the vineyard before the grapes are turned into wine. It includes selection of vines and rootstock, decisions on whether or not to irrigate, planting techniques, harvesting times, and many other aspects that all have a huge impact of the how the wine will turn out. Viticulture is distinguished from […]
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