FNH 330 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: 40Th Parallel North, Astringent, Late Harvest Wine
8 Jun 2018
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Before Quiz: (notes taken from quiz)
Lowest concentration of an aroma that we can detect and identity in a wine is called the
recognition threshold.
Norisoprenoids — kerosene, minty
Diacetyl — buttery
Aldehydes-hexanal — harsh (very under-ripe) green apple
Monoterpene-linalool — floral/rose
ethoxy-isobutylpyrazine — green bell pepper
In order to evaluate the readiness of wine grapes for harvest, one of the first measurements is
of the grapes’ sugar concentration
While in the vineyard, the refractometer is a device used to provide a technical evaluation of
this.
Retronasal Route
After Quiz:
Terroir in Wine-Growing
Terroir is all about the direct and interacting effects of
1) Viticulture (wine management) and
2) Geographical factors
- soil (type and structure)
- climate
- topography
- exposure (light, wind)
that results in the unique characteristics of a wine from a given site
-Central Valley, California (desert)
-Sauternes, France (fog & sun)
-Rheingau, Germany (riverbank cool climate)
-semi-desert cool climate (Okanagan Valley, B.C.)
Rainfall & temperature are two most limiting factors in grape production
Components of Terroir: Soil
-Soil partly mediates vine’s rate of growth & balance between reproductive and vegetative
-contains nutrients and water that are essential for vine growth
-marginal soils (not favourable for optimal vine growth)
- poor structure: impedes root growth, doesn’t drain, & therefore waterlogged (poor
aeration), drains too quickly (poor water-holding capacity)
- sub-optimal nutrient content: lacking specific/all nutrients, poor nutrient-holding
capacity (N, P, K, Mg, Ca, etc.) — stressful or excess in specific/all nutrients
- sub-optimal pH: nutrients are not as available, or stresses roots
Influence of marginal soils on wine-growing:
-Excess nutrients —> excess canopy growth resulting in shading, poor berry-set, & lower fruit
quality
-Inadequate nutrients —> poor canopy establishment & photosynthesis, poor berry set &
growth
-Flooded roots & dry roots —> root malfunction & wilting shoot, poor berry set & growth
Soil Components:
-sandy: coarse —> enhances drainage (e.g. extremely sandy soil: south Okanagan Valley)
-loam: a mix of clay, silt, and sand (more silt & sand than clay)
-silt: adds nutrients, and moderate WHC and NHC; moderately slows drainage
-clay: adds nutrients and greatly increases WHC and NHC; greatly slows drainage
-limestone/chalk deposits: adds calcium only, drains moderately
-organic matter added to any of these soils; adds to WHC and NHC; moderately improves
drainage
Climate: expected & known long-term average regional weather
Weather: growing season temperature, sunshine, cloud, rainfall conditions for single year
Highly influences yield & quality for that year (that vintage)
Vintage refers to the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product (of wine). A
vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all primarily grown and harvested in a single
specified year
Vintage: all about weather (growing season) & specifically refers to the year that the grapes
were harvested
For quality wine-growing, one needs sufficient & timely rainfall and warmth and sunshine. Light
breezes are helpful in drying up grapes & pretending botrytis & other rots
Also, one needs to avoid frost, hail, drought, late season rainfall. Heavy winds can damage
vines
-For example, yields in Bordeaux 5 ton/A vs. Mendoza, which is often 10 ton/A
Wine-grapes are indigenous to the temperate zone between the 30th and 50th parallel of
latitude north, and can also be grown in the temperate zone between the 30th and 40th parallel
of latitude south
Grapes Grown in 4 Recognized Climate Zones
1. Mediterranean climate e.g. South Rhone (region in Southern France)
- mild, sometimes wet winters — dry hot summers
- advantages:
- can ripen long-season red varieties to high quality
- less disease
- e.g. Chenin Blanc, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz
- vintages fairly consistent. little/no cold injury
- disadvantages:
- limits on water
- sun scald on berries
- low acid
- loss of aroma compounds
2. Continental climate e.g. Burgundy (east-central France)
- cold winters & warm-hot summers, can be wet/dry, variable
- advantages:
- many variable mesoclimates: good to high quality, some variables
- e.g., Chardonnay, Merlot, Riesling, Cabernet Franc
- disadvantages:
- winter cold injury; excess disease if humid
- vintages quite variable; can be excessively wet, or dry
3. Maritime climate e.g. Bordeaux (port city on Garonne River in southwestern France)
- adjacent to a large body of water
- cool-cold winters, wet, no long-term dry season, cool-warm summers
- advantages:
- some varieties do very well if sunshine & heat units are sufficient (e.g. Cabernet
Sauvignon & Merlot in Bordeaux)
- little cold injury
- disadvantages:
- often too wet — disease issues
- limits variety selection
4. Cool-climate e.g. B.C. and Germany
- short growing season, cold winters, summers variable, but must generally be warm
- advantages:
- good varietal character in white wines and Pinot Noir produced
- disadvantages:
- marginal length of summer (frost-free days & spring & fall temps. are cool)
- vintages quite variable
- total amount of heat accumulation for vines is at the limit for viticulture
- frost and winter cold injury are concerns
- e.g. Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Muller Thurgau,
Some sub-classifications of climates
A. Cool mid-latitude semi-arid climate due to rainshadow effect
- e.g. Columbia Valley in Washington, & south Okanagan in B.C.
B. Desert w/ access to irrigation water, and adjacent to a Mediterranean climate (where it can
supply some of its wine to winemakers for blending)
- e.g. California Central Valley w/ water from Sierra Mountains and Chile’s Central Valley
w/ water from Andes Mountains
C. High-altitude vineyard climate
- provides a cooler day & (especially cooler nights) cool breezes
- can be used for white grape variety growing in regions that are normally too hot for
quality wine
- e.g. Eden Valley in South Australia
Document Summary
Lowest concentration of an aroma that we can detect and identity in a wine is called the recognition threshold. Monoterpene-linalool oral/rose ethoxy-isobutylpyrazine green bell pepper. In order to evaluate the readiness of wine grapes for harvest, one of the rst measurements is of the grapes" sugar concentration. While in the vineyard, the refractometer is a device used to provide a technical evaluation of this. Terroir is all about the direct and interacting effects of: viticulture (wine management) and, geographical factors. Exposure (light, wind) that results in the unique characteristics of a wine from a given site. Rainfall & temperature are two most limiting factors in grape production. Soil partly mediates vine"s rate of growth & balance between reproductive and vegetative. Contains nutrients and water that are essential for vine growth. Marginal soils (not favourable for optimal vine growth) Poor structure: impedes root growth, doesn"t drain, & therefore waterlogged (poor aeration), drains too quickly (poor water-holding capacity)
