Grape Vines: Wine and Table Grapes

• A grape vine is a climbing plant yielding grape berries

Types of Grapes

• Table grapes are larger with high water content and diluted flavors
• Wine grapes are smaller with concentrated flavors, higher sugar, and acidity
• Noble grapes are the 7 main varieties which make up 80% of wines
• Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah
• White: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling

Anatomy of the Vine

• Roots absorb water/nutrients, anchor the plant, and store energy
• The Trunk is old wood and a year-old wood (buds develop) that provides structure and sap transport
• Leaves facilitate photosynthesis exhibiting unique characteristics dependent on the variety
• Buds have prompt growth and compound growth
• Flower clusters form grapes after pollination

Wine Styles

• Styles include white, rosé, orange, and red

Wine types

• Still wines have 9-16% ABV and range from dry to medium sweetness
• Sparkling wines have 5-13% ABV, CO2, and range from dry to sweet
• Fortified wines have 15-22% ABV, added alcohol, and range from dry to sweet
• Sweet wines have 5-16% ABV, no CO2, and high sweetness

Climate Characteristics

• Colder climates yield lighter color, higher acidity, and more pronounced aromas
• Warmer climates yield deeper color, lower acidity, and lighter aromas

Aging and Color Changes

• White wines darken over time

• Red wines lighten because of oxidation

• Thicker legs in wine indicate higher alcohol/sugar content

Grape Berry Anatomy

• Skin has phenolic compounds
• Seeds have tannins, oils, and DNA
• Pulp has water, sugar (fructose), acids, and minerals
• Bloom is a natural yeast coating on the grape skin

Fermentation

• Yeasts include Saccharomyces cerevisiae & bayanus
• Malolactic Fermentation converts malic acid to lactic acid for a softer acidity and creamy texture

Special Wine Terms

• Blanc de Blancs is white wine from white grapes
• Blanc de Noirs is white wine from red grapes (skins removed early)
• Tintorier Grapes have red pulp, and always make red wines

Canopy Management

• Canopy Management controls grape exposure to sun, air circulation, and yields

Training Systems

• Guyot, Sylvoz, Midwire are for mechanized harvesting
• Bush vines are for hot climates and protect grapes from excess sun

Pruning

• Winter pruning controls yield and sap transport efficiency

Vine Hazards

• Weather includes drought, flooding, frost, hail, wildfires
• Drought causes dilution
• Flooding causes rot
• Frost causes bud loss
• Hail is not preventable
• Pests include phylloxera, mites, grape moths
• Phylloxera is solved by grafting
• Mites are solved by pesticides
• Diseases:
• Fungal: Grey rot, powdery mildew, downy mildew, esca
• Microbial: Pierce's disease
• Viral: Leafroll virus, fanleaf virus

Stages of Grape Growth

• Winter Dormancy has no sap flow, energy storage
• Budburst is the first sign of growth during spring
• Shoot & Leaf Growth provides energy for flowering

Flowering & Pollination

• Success in flowering and pollination determines the grape yield
• Veraison is when grapes change color, acidity decreases

Ripening

• Standard ripening involves sugar & acid balance
• Phenolic ripening involves Color & tannins
• Aromatic ripening involves flavor complexity
• Harvest involves grape picking done by hand or mechanically

Climate Impact

• Hotter climates: More sugar, less acidity and higher alcohol
• Cooler climates: Less sugar, more acidity, lighter body

Quality Factors & Climate

• Latitude: 30°-50° (N & S hemispheres are best for vineyards)
• Altitude: Higher altitudes mean cooler temperatures
• Proximity to Water moderates temperature shifts

Soil Factors

• Porosity: Sand has high porosity, whereas clay has low porosity but retains water.
• Color: Darker soil absorbs heat, lighter reflects it
• Nutrients: Low nutrients indicate better wine
• Rocks help retain heat

Climate Types

• Tropical climates are too hot for grapes
• Mediterranean climates have warm, dry summers
• Wines are fuller-bodied, riper tannins, and lower levels of acidity
• Maritime climates have ocean influence and unpredictable rain
• Wines are medium-bodied, with structured tannins and balanced acidity
• Continental climates have extreme seasons and high diurnal range
• Wines are lighter-bodied, light tannins, crisp acidity, and fresh fruit

Viticulture

• Conventional Farming uses chemicals, is efficient, and has higher yields
• Organic Farming uses no synthetic chemicals, slower process, more labor-intensive
• Moon Calendar Influence means sap flows faster when the moon is closer

Winemaking Process

• Harvesting:

• Hand-Picked: Higher quality, more expensive

• Mechanized: Faster, cheaper, more damage

• Sorting & Pressing:

• Sorting removes debris

• Pressing

  • Pneumatic: Gentle, for whites/sparklings
  • Vertical: More pressure, for reds/rosés

• Fermentation:

• Alcoholic Fermentation converts sugar to alcohol

• Cold Soaking extracts color & flavor

• Cap Management ensures even color extraction in red wines by:

• Punching Down (gentle)

• Pump Over (moderate)

• Rack & Return (intense)

• Post-Fermentation:

• Aging enhances texture & complexity -Lees Aging enhances texture & complexity -Oak Aging:

  • French Oak: Vanilla, baking spices
  • American Oak: Coconut, sweet vanilla

• Filtration & Stabilization:

  • Crystallization prevents tartaric acid precipitation
  • Hyperoxidation allows for controlled oxygen exposure for stability

• Blending:

• Creates complexity, consistency, and balance

• Used for rosé production

• Carbonic Maceration means whole grapes ferment under CO2

• Spain devotes the most farmland to vines

• China produces the most grapes

• USA is the main importer of wine

• There are 5 basic tastes

• The correct order to taste wine is Look, Smell, Taste

• Primary, secondary, tertiary are characteristic wine flavors

• Palate, nose, and appearance have intensity

• White wines darken when aging, while red wines become paler

• Subjectivism is the main criticism about the reliability of wine-tasting notes/descriptions

• Legs are liquid streams that adhere to the sides of the glass

• Shoot and leaf growing period is from the budburst to the floration

• Factors that affect heat are latitude, altitude, and bodies of water

• A vineyard aspect is the direction that the slope faces

• Continentality wine regions have very marked seasonal changes

• Weather is the average climatic variation

Aspects that need to be assessed when deciding where to establish a new vineyard:

• Business consideration, grape variety, and environmental conditions

• Planting density needs to be higher when there are high levels of nutrients and sufficient rainfall

• The # of chemical treatments & additives that can be used is the difference between natural, organic, and biodynamic wines

• Lemon, gold, and amber are the color levels for white wine

• Secondary Aromas develop in the post-fermentation winemaking process

• Descriptors "butter, cream, cheese" correlate to malolactic conversion

• Descriptors "dried fruit, orange marmalade, petrol, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg refer to white wine

• Descriptors "peach, apricot, nectarine" correlate to stone fruits

• Tannin NOT a flavor in wine

• Wine color is judged at the core for white and rosé wines

• Swirling wine in a glass increases the surface to react with oxygen, releasing the aromas, and creates legs

• If a bottle has lots of tertiary aromas, this indicates a bottle-aged wine

• A sensation on the tip of the tongue when tasting wine means you're sensing sweetness A glass of red wine with colors receding from the rim and turning garnet means it has been aged in the bottle

• A drying sensation around your teeth/gums means there are tannins

• Swirling wine in a glass is to get oxygen to release its aromas

• Acidity makes your mouth dry

• Hot climates bring wines with rich and juicy flavors

Wine Aspects

• H - High Alcohol
• O - Overripe fruit
• T - Tannins
• W - Warm, Full-bodied
• B - Big, bold flavors
• R - Ripe, jammy fruit
• J - Juicy, low acidity
• F - Full mouthful
• HOT = HIGH: high alcohol, high ripeness, high tannins, full
• COOL climates produce lighter and zesty wines

Wine Aspects

• C - Crispy acidity
• O - off-dry
• O - Oak is usually minimal
• L - Light body
• W - white fruit
• S - sharp acidity
• L - Lean
• Z - Zesty, fresh flavors
• COOL = CRISP: crisp acidity, low alcohol, lighter body fresh flavors
• MODERATE climates offer smooth elegance:

Wine Aspects

• M - medium alcohol
• O - Oak influence is noticeable but balanced
• D - Developing flavors
• E - Elegant balance
• S - structured tannins
• E - Earthy
• MODERATE = MIDDLE: Medium acidity, alcohol, tannins and body with notes of fresh and ripe fruit

Wine Appearance

• Clarity: clear or hazy
• Intensity: pale, medium, deep

Color

• White
  • lemon green, lemon, gold, amber and twan
• Red
  • Purple, ruby, garnet, tawny and brown
• Rose
  • pink, salmon, and orange Observations: legs, bubbles

Wine Nose

• Condition: clean or unclean
• Intensity: light, medium (-), medium, medium (+) or high
• Aroma characteristics: primary, secondary or tertiary
• Development: youthful, developing, developed or tired/past its best

Palate

• Sweetness: dry, off-dry, medium, sweet, lucious
• Acidity: low, medium (-), medium, medium (+), high
• Tannins: low, medium (-), medium, medium (+), high
• Alcohol: low, medium, high
• Body low, medium (-), medium, medium (+), full
• Mousse: delicate, creamy aggressive (if it has bubbles or not)
• Flavor intensity: light, medium (-), medium, medium (+), pronounced
• Flavor characteristics: primary, secondary tertiary
• Finish: short, medium (-), medium, medium (+), long

Explore grape vine characteristics and grape types including wine and table grapes. Learn about vine anatomy, including roots, trunks, leaves and buds. Discover the styles and types of wines produced from different grapes.