9/10/2012 1 Hort/VE 113 Fall 2012 Session 5 -Grape Growing: climate and environment Introduction to Vines and Wines climate and environment Climate terminology • Climate : the average course or condition of the weather at a place usually over a period of years as exhibited by temperature, wind velocity, and precipitation. • Mesoclimate : the climate of a vineyard site; up to a region; influenced by prevailing winds, proximity to water. • Microclimate : the climate of the grapevine canopy. Meso Climates • Meso – sites within a region – air drainage, soil, water table, slope, aspect orientation aspect, orientation – Small end: an extensive vineyard – Large end: a region– Note: there are many Meso climates possible in a given region
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Hort/VE 113 Fall 2012Session 5 -Grape Growing:
climate and environment
Introduction to Vines and Wines
climate and environment
Climate terminology• Climate: the average course or condition of
the weather at a place usually over a period of years as exhibited by temperature, wind velocity, and precipitation.
• Mesoclimate: the climate of a vineyard site; up to a region; influenced by prevailing winds, proximity to water.
• Microclimate: the climate of the grapevine canopy.
Meso Climates
• Meso– sites within a region– air drainage, soil, water table, slope,
aspect orientationaspect, orientation– Small end: an extensive vineyard – Large end: a region– Note: there are many
Meso climates possible in a given region
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Micro climates
• Micro– From the scale of inches to the scale of a
few hundred yards
– From the scale of a leaf to the scale of a vineyard.
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Important climatic characteristics• Sunshine• Heat accumulation (growing degree days)• Length of growing season (number of
frost-free days)y• Cold dormant “chilling” period• Absolute minimum temperature• Humidity• Rainfall during growing season
American Viticultural Areas “AVA’s”
• Concept of AVA’s—– Federally recognized growing regions –
American Viticultural Areas
– Designed to give you a geographic and climatological pedigree for the wine coming from that AVA
– Also called “Appellations”
The AVAs of WA• Puget Sound• Red Mountain• Walla Walla Valley• Yakima Valley
• Columbia Gorge• Wahluke Slope• Snipes Mountain• Lake Chelan• Yakima Valley
• Horse Heaven Hills• Rattlesnake Hills
• Lake Chelan• Columbia Valley• Pending: Naches
Heights; Ancient Lakes
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AVA’s were established to help people try to guess the properties of wines without tasting them.
• e.g., If you bought a nice Pinot Noir from one vineyard in the Puget Sound,
h b bl f you might be able to assume some of the characteristics of another Pinot from another winery in the same AVA.
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Sunlight• Desirable regardless of which varieties
are grown or the end use• Required for photosynthesis (production
of carbohydrates)f y )• Heats fruit and accelerates ripening• Stimulates development of fruitful buds• Helps dry foliage and fruit – reduces
disease
Heat Accumulation• Growing degree days (GDDs): used to predict
development of crop and determine where grapes will grow
• GDDs (base 50˚F) = average daily temperature – 50 for a given 24 hour period:
• Average the min and max temps and subtract 50 Average the min and max temps and subtract 50 degrees
• High of 60 low of 50:• 60+50 divided by 2 = 55• 55-50 = 5 GDD• Counted from April 1 to October 31st.
www.weather.wsu.edu
Average air temp (F) 2 Sept 2008
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Prosser, WA GDDs Base 50
GDD Calculation
Wine grapes need high GDDs to accumulate sugar in fruit• >2500(F˚) preferred for red varieties:
C b t S i M l t M lb– Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec• >1900 preferred for white varieties