Winegrowing Terms and Fast Facts
Farming for Flavors™ is a full-time job. Whether it's the middle of winter or the heart of harvest, the work of cultivating carefully tended vines is never done. Following is just some of what keeps us busy.
The Grape Vine
While there are many species of grape vine, the majority of the world's wine is made from the vinifera vine. This vine differs from other species like the vitis labrusca, the grapes of which are used to make jams and juices. The vinifera vine produces grapes that are uniquely suited to premium winemaking.
Disease-Resistant Rootstock
The vinifera grapevine, which came to us from Europe and western Asia, was nearly wiped out in the late 18th century by a devastating root louse called phylloxera. To this day, there is no remedy for phylloxera. Vinifera vines must be grafted onto a separate grapevine rootstock that is resistant to the louse. The epidemic phylloxera infestation of California vineyards in the late 1980s and early 1990s forced wineries to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars replanting older vineyards to phylloxera-resistant rootstock. Today, the majority of vineyards are planted using only phylloxera-resistant rootstock.
Varieties and Clones
There are numerous varieties of the vinifera vine (Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc.). Each variety is subdivided into myriad clones, which further determine flavor, ripening, disease resistance, cluster size, etc. The art of planning a vineyard requires selecting the specific rootstock, variety and clone best suited for a given vineyard location and its microclimates.
Vine Facts
- Grapevines can be planted any time of year, but are best planted in the spring.
- During the growing season, grapevines prefer a mild climate with warm days and cool nights.
- Depending on the vine type, a grapevine can produce winegrapes for more than 100 years. The average lifespan of a grapevine is 25 years.
- In general, the first fruit from a grapevine comes in the third leaf.
- On average, one grapevine will produce three to six bottles of wine per harvest.
Vineyard Calendar
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Grape Growing Terms
- Budbreak: Vines are dormant until the beginning of March. By the end of March, the buds begin to emerge that eventually become grapes.
- Fruit Bloom and Set: The bud blooms and is ready for pollination. Grapevines are self-pollinators. Immediately after pollination, the fruit begins to set.
- Veraison: This is the beginning of the ripening process. Red winegrapes change color from green to red. White winegrapes make a slight color move from green to yellow-green. During this time, the pulp starts to soften and the skins start to thicken.
- Harvest: Also called "crush," harvest time varies according to grape type. Sparkling grapes are picked first, as low sugar levels are desirable for effervescence. Whites and light-bodied red wines are next, followed by the heavier bodied reds. Finally, the dessert and late-harvest wines are picked at high sugar levels. Higher sugar development means higher alcohol, as the sugar is converted to alcohol. The goal is to pick each grape type at its optimal ripenessÑa point in time that can pass in the course of a day.