Stephen Skelton - Viticulture

VITICULTURE

An introduction to commercial

grape growing for wine production

Revised and updated second edition 2020

Stephen Skelton MW

S P SKELTON LTD

Published by S P Skelton Ltd

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Copyright 2007, 2020

Stephen Skelton

All rights reserved

First published in paperback

in Great Britain in 2007. Second

edition first published in Great

Britain in 2020.

Stephen Skelton has asserted his

right under the Copyright, Designs

and Patents Act 1988 to be identified

as the author of this work

ISBN 978-0-9931235-9-7

Also available in paperback

ISBN 978-0-99312-357-3

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Cover illustration:

A young Chardonnay vine, just

before flowering, at Peter Halls

Breaky Bottom Vineyard, Lewes,

East Sussex, Great Britain

Printed volume design

Geoff Green Book Design, Cambridge

eBook coding and production

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Contents

Vine physiology

Parts of the grapevine

Leaves, shoots, clusters

Leaves

Shoots

Clusters and tendrils

Woody parts cordons, canes and trunks

Below the soil the root structure

Mycorrhizal fungi

Internal processes of the vine

The circulatory system of the vine Vascular system

Drinking and sweating the movement of water through the vine

The Food Source Photosynthesis

Eating Respiration

Clones of grapevines

Mass selection of clones s lection massale

Natural mutations Chimeras

Producing new varieties by cross-breeding

Hybrid grape varieties

DNA profiling

Genetically modified (GM) grapevines

Production of grapevines

Rooted cuttings

Grafted grapevines

Top-grafting

Layering provignage

Repiquage

Climate Macro-, Meso- and Microclimate

Climatic influences

Measurement of climate at macroclimate level

The length of the growing season

Summary on climate measurement

Climate change and global warming

Site selection at the mesoclimate level

Location, Altitude, Aspect

Proximity to bodies of water

Diurnal temperature variation

Conclusion to site selection

Table 1: Grapegrowing regions of the world (2019)

Climatic differences

Climate and location

White grape varieties

Table 2: Most widespread white wine grape varieties

Red grape varieties

Table 3: Most widespread red wine grape varieties

Topsoil

Subsoil

Subsolum

Soil pH

Humus in soils

Availability of water

Terroir A concept not easily grasped

Precision viticulture

Site preparation

Ploughpan

Drainage

Green manures

Windbreaks

Hail netting

Protection against predators

Frost protection

Winter frost

Spring frost

Vineyard layout

Planting vines

Care of vines after planting

Weed control in vines

Pruning an overview

Canopy management

High vigour vineyards

High-density or low-density vineyards?

Row width

Intervine distance and vine densities

Trellis height

Height of fruiting wood

Downward trained vines

Types of pruning

Cane pruning

Cane pruning conclusions

Spur pruning

Spur pruning conclusions

Minimal pruning

Different trellising, training and pruning systems

Trellising, training and pruning systems summary

Materials used in trellising, training and pruning systems

January-February-March

April-May

June-July

July-August

September-October

November-December

Yields and quality is there a relationship?

The relationship between vine age and quality

Water sources

Quality of water

Types of irrigation

Monitoring the water requirements in the vineyard

How much water to apply?

Partial Rootzone Drying (PRD)

Irrigation a summary

Rudolf Steiner

Organic and Biodynamic practices

Organic and Biodynamic does not mean not sprayed

Costs of production in organic and Biodynamic vineyards

Are organic and Biodynamic wines better than conventional ones?

Organic and Biodynamic viticulture a summary

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Harvest intervals

Roses and vines

Diseases caused by fungi, bacteria and bacteria-like organisms

Botrytis Pourriture Gris , Grey Mould, Grey Rot

Botrytis Noble Rot Pourriture Noble , Edelfule

Downy Mildew Peronospera, Mildiou

Oidium Powdery Mildew

Further diseases in alphabetical order

Viruses of grapevines

Trunk diseases

Phylloxera in Europe

Rootstock development

Types of rootstock

Phylloxera and the Californian experience

Vineyards on their own roots

Modern developments in Phylloxera control

Pre- Phylloxera vines and wines

Conclusion Phylloxera

Mineral requirements of vines

Major elements

Minor and trace elements

Other viticultural problems

Units of measurement

Note:

The volume of juice/wine produced from 1 tonne of grapes will depend on several factors: the type of press, degree of pressure, grape variety, whether pressed pre-fermentation (white grapes) or post-fermentation (red grapes), whole-bunch pressed, crushed and not de-stemmed or crushed and de-stemmed, machine harvested etc. The output of liquid from 1 tonne of grapes for still wines will vary between 775 litres (extreme) and 650 litres (low).

For sparkling wines using the official mthode Champenoise, 4,000 kg of grapes may yield 2,050 litres of cuve juice and another 500 litres of taille a total of 2,550 litres or 637.5 litres per tonne. Any additional juice pressed (known as the rebche) is used for table wine or distillation. The best champagnes and sparkling winemakers only use the cuve.

Acknowledgements

This book is a compilation of my personal knowledge, experience and research gained by working with vines since 1975, plus a huge amount of delving into the published works and internet postings of others. Chief amongst these published works, in alphabetical order, are: