Pancyprian TS Org. Viticulture cheat sheet

Vitis vinifera is the principal wine species; American species (V. riparia, V. rupestris, V. berlandieri) supply rootstocks for phylloxera resistance.

Grapevine is a liana; annual growth cycle: budbreak, flowering, fruit set, veraison, ripening (maturation), leaf fall, dormancy.

Coulure = poor fruit set from failed fertilization; millerandage = uneven berry size from partial fertilization; both reduce yield and uniformity.

Veraison marks onset of ripening: berry softens, anthocyanins accumulate in red cultivars, sugars rise, acids fall.

Photosynthate is partitioned among sinks: shoot tips, clusters, roots and trunk reserves; source limitation after veraison reduces sugar accumulation.

C vs C3: grapevine is a C3 plant; stomata close under water stress, cutting CO2 uptake and photosynthesis before visible wilting.

Roots absorb water and minerals via mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal pathways; fine roots are the main uptake surface and turn over seasonally.

Dormancy requires chilling; insufficient winter chill delays and uneven budbreak. Bud fruitfulness (inflorescence primordia) is initiated in the previous season.

Key soil properties for vines: texture, structure, depth, drainage, water-holding capacity, pH, organic matter, cation exchange capacity (CEC).

High-vigour soils (deep, fertile, high water holding) promote excessive canopy and reduce fruit quality; moderate stress is often preferred for wine grapes.

Calcareous soils (high active lime) can induce iron chlorosis; tolerant rootstocks (e.g., V. berlandieri crosses) mitigate it.

Soil pH controls nutrient availability: micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Zn) become less available as pH rises above ~7.

Soil profile pits and texture-by-feel or laboratory particle-size analysis guide rootstock and irrigation decisions.

Erosion control on slopes: cover crops, contour planting, retention of resident vegetation between rows.

Soil organic matter improves aggregate stability, infiltration and biological activity; it is built slowly and lost quickly with tillage.

Saline or sodic soils reduce water uptake; electrical conductivity (EC) and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) are diagnostic measures.

Macroclimate (region), mesoclimate (site), microclimate (canopy) each influence ripening and wine style.

Growing degree days (GDD) accumulate above a base temperature (commonly 10 °C) from budbreak to harvest and classify cultivar suitability.

Winkler index regions: Region I ~1111-1389 GDD, Region II ~1389-1667, Region III ~1667-1944, Region IV ~1944-2222, Region V >2222 (base 10 °C).

Site factors: aspect, slope, altitude, proximity to water, frost risk, hail risk, prevailing winds and sunlight hours.

Frost: radiation frost occurs on clear calm nights; advective frost accompanies cold air masses; site selection and frost protection differ.

Aspect determines radiation interception: north-facing (southern hemisphere) or north-facing (northern hemisphere) slopes are cooler and later.

Altitude lowers temperature (~6.5 °C per 1000 m in free atmosphere) and increases diurnal range, affecting acidity and aroma.

Heat summation and ripening period must match cultivar phenology; late-ripening cultivars need warmer sites or earlier harvest risk.

Vineyard planning order: site/climate assessment, soil survey, cultivar and rootstock selection, row orientation, spacing, trellis design, irrigation layout.

Rootstock selection criteria: phylloxera and nematode resistance, lime tolerance, water stress tolerance, vigour control, grafting compatibility.

Common spacing: 2.0-2.5 m between rows and 1.0-1.5 m within row; density affects vigour per vine and canopy management.

Head-trained systems (gobelet, bush vines) suit dry, low-vigour sites; trellised systems (VSP, lyre, pergola) allow mechanization and larger canopies.

VSP (vertical shoot positioning) divides the canopy vertically; it improves light interception and is widely used with spur pruning.

Guyot (single/double) is a cane-pruned system; cane pruning renews fruiting wood annually and suits cultivars with basal bud infertility.

Planting: dormant bare-root vines, graft union above soil, correct root orientation, irrigation at planting, protection from wind and frost.

Trellis components: end posts, line posts, wire, anchors; load-bearing design must withstand wind and crop weight.

Canopy management goals: balance vegetative and reproductive growth, optimize light in the fruiting zone, reduce disease pressure.

Shoot thinning and leaf removal increase light and airflow; excessive leaf removal increases sunburn and reduces photosynthesis.

Pruning types: spur pruning (short, 2-3 bud spurs) and cane pruning (long canes); pruning severity influences yield and vine balance.

Vine balance: leaf area to fruit ratio; Ravaz index = crop weight / pruning weight (typical target ~5-10 for many wine cultivars).

Bud load per vine is set from pruning weight and desired Ravaz index; overcropping reduces sugar and delays ripening.

Cover crops manage erosion, weeds, organic matter and vine vigour; they compete for water and nutrients.

Weed control methods: mechanical cultivation, mowing, mulching, herbicides; integrated approaches reduce resistance risk.

Harvest and canopy timing: shoot positioning and hedging after veraison reduce shading without stimulating regrowth.

Essential macronutrients: N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S; micronutrients: Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, B, Mo, Cl, Ni.

Nitrogen drives vigour and canopy growth; excess N delays ripening and increases disease susceptibility; deficiency limits yield and yeast-assimilable N in must.

Potassium influences acidity, water relations and berry size; high K can raise must pH and reduce tartaric acid.

Petiole or leaf-blade analysis at bloom or veraison guides fertilizer decisions; tissue standards are cultivar and region specific.

Irrigation scheduling tools: soil moisture sensors, evapotranspiration (ETc = ET0 × Kc) and vine water status indicators (stem water potential).

Deficit irrigation (regulated deficit irrigation, RDI) controls vigour and berry size; severe stress before veraison reduces yield.

Drip irrigation is standard; emitter spacing and flow rate determine application uniformity and fertigation options.

Water quality: salinity, pH, bicarbonate and sodium affect soil and irrigation system performance.

IPM hierarchy: prevention (site, cultivar, sanitation), monitoring, thresholds, biological control, chemical control as last resort.

Key fungal diseases: downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola), powdery mildew (Erysiphe necator), botrytis bunch rot, black rot, esca/trunk diseases.

Downy mildew: oil spots on leaves, white sporulation underside, spread by rain splash; protectant and systemic fungicides with resistance management.

Powdery mildew: white powdery growth on leaves and berries, no free water needed; sulfur and DMI/QoI fungicides used with rotation.

Phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae) is controlled by grafting V. vinifera onto resistant American rootstocks.

Grape moth (Lobesia botrana) and other Lepidoptera monitored with pheromone traps; mating disruption is an IPM tool.

Fungicide resistance management: rotate modes of action (FRAC groups), limit applications per group, respect label rates.

Sanitation: remove mummified berries and pruning wood, disinfect tools, manage trunk wounds to reduce trunk disease entry.

Harvest decision criteria: sugar (Brix), titratable acidity, pH, berry flavour and phenolic ripeness, seed colour and texture.

Brix to potential alcohol: potential alcohol (% v/v) ≈ Brix × 0.55-0.60 depending on conversion factor.

Titratable acidity and pH determine must balance; pH above ~3.6-3.8 raises microbial and oxidation risk.

Sampling must represent the block: stratified sampling across rows and clusters, avoid sun-exposed or shaded extremes only.

Mechanical vs hand harvest: mechanical is faster and cheaper but less selective; hand harvest allows sorting and whole-cluster use.

Harvest timing affects style: earlier harvest = higher acid, lower alcohol, greener aromas; later harvest = higher sugar and phenolic maturity.

Logistics: harvest in cool hours, minimize time to winery, avoid berry damage and oxidation, keep bins clean.

Record keeping: date, block, cultivar, yield, Brix, pH, TA support traceability and quality control.

Grape quality at reception: temperature, berry integrity, absence of rot, uniform ripeness, sugar-acid balance.

Cooling grapes quickly after harvest slows oxidation, microbial growth and aroma loss.

Sorting removes unripe, rotten and damaged berries; optical sorting improves consistency in larger operations.

Sulfur dioxide additions at crush inhibit oxidation and wild microbes; dose depends on must pH and temperature.

Must clarification and temperature control during fermentation influence aroma and phenolic extraction.

Post-harvest vineyard care: irrigation if needed, disease control on leaves, avoid excessive late-season nitrogen.

Quality assurance: sanitation of bins, presses and tanks; monitoring of temperature, density and microbial status.

Traceability systems link block, harvest date and lot to support quality claims and regulatory compliance.

Cost structure: establishment costs (vines, trellis, irrigation), annual variable costs (labour, chemicals, fuel), fixed costs (land, machinery).

Break-even yield and price analysis: compare cost per hectare to expected yield × price per tonne.

Labour is often the largest variable cost; mechanization reduces labour but requires capital investment.

Yield-quality trade-off: higher yield may lower price per tonne depending on contract and appellation rules.

Risk management: diversification of cultivars, insurance, contracts and storage decisions.

Vineyard value depends on site, cultivar, vine age, infrastructure and appellation status.

Market channels: bulk wine, bottled wine, direct sales, cooperatives; each has different margins and requirements.

Record keeping and financial planning support access to credit and subsidy programs.

Pesticide use must follow label instructions: dose, pre-harvest interval (PHI), re-entry interval (REI), protective equipment.

Operator safety: PPE (gloves, mask, goggles, coveralls), training, storage, disposal of containers per local rules.

Spray drift management: buffer zones, weather conditions, nozzle selection, record keeping.

Wine regulations may define permitted varieties, yields, labelling and geographical indications; compliance is mandatory.

Traceability and record keeping are required for plant protection products and harvest lots.

Worker safety: heat stress, machinery guarding, tractor operation, first aid and emergency procedures.

Environmental protection: avoid contamination of water bodies, respect buffer zones and waste disposal rules.

Certification schemes (organic, integrated) impose additional documentation and practice requirements.