www'casestudieswineschool'co'uk

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www.casestudieswineschool.co.uk
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Objectives
Viticulture

• To understand the viticultural practices employed
  to produce a healthy crop of grapes
• To understand how viticultural practices
  influence the style, quality and price of wine

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What is wine?
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The fermented juice of freshly picked grapes
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Factors affecting the Style, Quality Price of a
Wine

• Grape variety
• Climate weather
• Soil topography
• Viticulture
• Vinification

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1. Grape Variety
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• White Varieties
• Chardonnay
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Riesling
• Viognier
• Muscat
• Chenin Blanc

• Black Varieties
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Merlot
• Syrah/Shiraz
• Grenache/Garnacha
• Sangiovese
• Tempranillo

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Chardonnay
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Pinot Noir
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Sauvignon Blanc
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Cabernet Sauvignon
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Riesling
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Merlot
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Syrah/Shiraz
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• Hybrids
• Different Species
• e.g. Seyval Blanc
• Crossings
• Same Species
• e.g. Pinotage Pinot Noir x Cinsault

hybrids
crossings
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• Clones
• Cuttings taken from individual vines that show
• desirable characteristics
• Some varieties prone to mutation e.g. Pinot Noir

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Grafting Rootstocks

• Late 1800s
• Infected wounds
• American vines - foxy wines
• Chile, South Australia unaffected
• Nematodes, soil types

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2. Climate Weather
Temperature - 10 to 25C
Sunshine - 1500 hrs
Rainfall - 700 mm
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World Wine Producing Areas
RUSSIA
CANADA
50N
EUROPE
NORTHAMERICA
CHINA
30N
CALIFORNIA
NORTHAFRICA
EQUATOR
SOUTHAMERICA
AUSTRALIA
30S
CHILE
SOUTHAFRICA
ARGENTINA
NEW ZEALAND
50S
Wine Producing Areas
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Climate

• Climate Types
• Maritime
• Mediterranean
• Continental

• Main Effects on Climate
• Latitude
• Altitude
• Bodies of water e.g. sea, lakes, rivers
• Currents
• Mountains

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• Site Climate
• Variation in climate between vineyard plots
• Very important in Burgundy Germany

• Micro-Climate
• Climate within the vine leaf canopy
• Can be affected by the grape-grower

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• Weather
• Vintage Variation
• Marginal climates e.g. Bordeaux, Champagne,
  Piemonte
• Frosts
• Heavy rain
• Hail
• Drought
• Wind

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• Soil Topography
• Soil
• Ability to absorb and drain away water
• Heat retention properties
• Availability of nutrients and minerals

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Soil Types
Gravel complexity
Limestone high acidity level
Stone high sugar content
Clay water retention
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• Soil Topography
• Topography
• Slope
• Aspect

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Topography
Steep Slopes
Rolling Hills
Plains
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• Terroir
• The combined effect of aspect, slope,
• climate and site climate on the grape

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• 4. Viticulture
• The parts of the vine
• Roots
• Trunk
• Cane/spur
• Shoots
• Flowers/fruit
• Leaves

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• Training
• To best display the foliage and fruit
• Method depends on local wine laws, pruning,
  climate, yield required

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Training
Gobelet
Guyot
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Pruning

• Selects the buds that will form next years shoots
• Prepare the vine for future harvests
• Method depends on local wine laws, training,
  yield/quality required

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Pruning
Spur Several 1 to 3 bud spurs are left on the
vine
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Pruning
Cane 1 or 2, 8 to 12 bud canes are left on the
vine
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Yield Management

• Law
• High rainfall
• Excessive irrigation
• Vine density
• Vine age
• Pruning/Training
• Crop thinning
• Weather

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Pests Diseases

• Phylloxera
• Grape Moths
• Spider Mites
• Nematodes
• Birds Animals
• Mildew
• Rot (Botrytis Cinerea)
• Eutypiose
• Pierces Disease

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The Vineyard Calendar
January
March
May
April
December
February
June
July
August
September
October
November
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APPEARANCE Clarity clear - dull
Intensity water white - pale - medium - deep
- opaque Colour white colourless -
lemon green - green - gold - amber -
brown rosé pink - salmon - orange red
purple - ruby - garnet - tawny - brown
Other observations eg. rim vs. core,
legs/tears, deposit, petillance,
tints/highlights NOSE Condition
clean - unclean (faults?) Intensity
light - medium - pronounced Development
youthful - developing - fully developed
tired/past its best, deliberate oxidation?
Aroma characteristics fruit - floral -
spice - vegetal - oak - other PALATE
Sweetness dry - off dry - medium dry -
medium - med sweet - sweet - luscious
Acidity low - medium (-) - medium - medium
() - high Tannin low - medium (-) -
medium - medium () high Alcohol level
low medium (-) medium - medium () - high
fortified (low/medium/high level)
Body light - medium (-) - medium - medium
() - full Mousse delicate - creamy -
aggressive Flavour Intensity light
medium (-) - medium - medium () - pronounced
Flavour characteristics fruit - floral -
spice - vegetal - oak - other Length
short - medium (-) - medium - medium () - long
CONCLUSIONS Quality poor -
acceptable - good - outstanding Price
category inexpensive - mid priced - high
priced - premium Readiness for drinking
needs time - ready to drink, but can age - at
peak/drink soon tired/past its best
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Review
What are the 5 factors that affect the style,
quality and price of a wine?
Grape variety Climate weather Soil
topography Viticulture Vinification
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What is the most important species of vine for
wine-making?
Vitis Vinifera
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What is a hybrid?
A marriage between two different vine species
An example of which is?
Seyval Blanc
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Most commercial wine-making vineyards fall
between which degrees latitude?
30 50
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Homework

• Read chapter 5 (page 23) for next session
• Read Appendix 2 Principles of Food Wine
  Matching (page 214 to 216)
• Note No class next week, next class is on the
  26th February

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Further Reading

• http//www.thewinedoctor.com/
• http//www.wineanorak.com/
• http//www.jancisrobinson.com/
• The New Sothebys Wine Encyclopedia, Tom
  Stevenson
• Wine A Life Uncorked, Hugh Johnson