California California grape-growing Winegrape Ripening Sequence, CA
Regions based on GDD-50F
Viticultural (Amerine and Winkler, 1944)
Regions
Two-fold range of
degree-day heat
summation during
the growing season
across the state.
Major differences
in grape varieties
and wine quality
among five regions
Los Carneros: South Napa/Sonoma
St. Helena:
Upper Napa
Valley:
Decreased
vine size
on slope
Aspect Influences Heat
(South & West exposure in N’ Hemisphere)
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Climate Region x Cultivar Jackson & Lombard (1993)
Combinations (From: Reynolds, 1996) Alpha/Beta Viticultural Regions
Cool Warm
Tempranillo
Mourvedre
Nebbiolo
Barbera
Sangiovese
Syrah
Palomino
Pedro Ximenez
Touriga Nacional
“Warm Climate” Grapes & Wines
• High heat unit (GDD) regions (3500-4500)
Cabernet Sauvignon
• Long growing seasons (180-220 days) • Does well in both cool and warm regions
• Mid-winter low temps usually not extreme • Flavor and aromatic qualities of wine differ
• Soils in these climate regions usually lack across climate zones.
organic matter, droughty, low fertility • Late ripening advantage in warm areas
• Vines often head trained, spur pruned, • Black currant, cedar, tannic in warm regions
widely spaced, “sprawling”
• Bell pepper aromas in cooler regions
• Yields per ha relatively low w/out irrigation
• Grapes often ripen high sugar, but low acid
Cabernet Sauvignon Roman Viticultural Regions
Purple areas are historical Roman viticultural regions,brown
areas above 700 m a.s.l. (From Johnson & Robinson, 2001)
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Viticultural regions of Spain Climate and Wine Zones: Spain
• Jerez de la
Frontera in
the S’west
• Upper
Douro valley
in West (From Johnson & Robinson, 2001)
• Rioja and • Most of vineyards in drier regions
Navarra in • Summers often too hot for grapevines,
northeast actually delaying ripening
• Rias Baixas • Little water available for irrigation
Sierra Nevadas near Granada
Spanish Wines and Grapes
• Native grape varieties adapted to hot climates,
low-fertility soils, very low (1/6) vine densities
• “Isolated” until 1970s, making wines with
traditional varieties and methods (tinajas)
• High latitude (Madrid ~ Ithaca), high elevation
plateau (meseta), long hot, dry growing season
• Main varieties: Tempranillo, Touriga Nacional,
Garnacha, Mourvedre, and a few white grapes
like Palomino, Airen (brandy) and Verdejo in
Galicia (Rías Baixas)
Olives & Grapes: Olives, Grapes
Marriage of Tree and Vine
and Cork Oaks
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Tempranillo (Tinto fino, Tinto del pais,
Traditional Aragonez) on albariza soil, Rioja Spain
Winemaking
Tempranillo Grenache Noir
• Notes of tobacco, leather, (Garnacha, Cannonao, Alicante)
cloves, spice • Workhorse variety—blended
• Intensely purple small with Tempranillo in classic
berries (tinto = ink) wines of Rioja & Navarra
• Early budbreak and • Does best in older vines, hot,
ripening (hence its name)
dry, windy regions; quality
• Juice is low in TA, with declines with irrigation
high malic fraction
• In fortified wines or rosés,
• Needs blending with
another grape like low color & tannins on its
Garnacha or Cabernet own. Simple, fruity wines.
Sauvignon to produce • Common in California
high-quality wines Languedoc blends, also used
in Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Weathered red clay soils: Estremadura
Navarra Garnacha Vineyard
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New Vineyard in Navarra Upper Rio Ebro (left) and Rioja Vineyards: Spain
Head Trained Spur Pruned Vine Head Trained Cane Pruned
Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa
La Frontera: Moorish Spain
Jerez de la Frontera: Solera Sherry
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‘Palomino Fino’ Viña near Jerez Solera System: Sherries
Transfers Portugal: Douro Valley Region
from
Criaderas
(Jackson, 2000)
• Oldest DOC in Europe
• Unique varieties (Touriga Nacional)
• World’s steepest vineyards?
Upper Douro Vineyards: Portugal
Douro Terraced Vineyards
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Hillside Vineyard Equipment Other Major Warm Region Grapes
• Barbera: Italy, California, Argentina
• Nebbiolo: unique to northern Italy
• Carignan: Spain (Aragon), southern France,
California. Most productive grape?
• Sangiovese: Italy (Chianti), California
• Mourvedre: Spain, southern France
• Zinfandel: California, southern Italy (as
Primitivo)
• Syrah/Shiraz: France, Australia, California
Barbera
Nebbiolo
• Signature variety of Piemonte
• Mostly grown in
(NW Italy) northwest Italy
• California and Argentina • Notes of tar, roses,
• Blended for its acidity, deep violets, citrus…
color, low tannins • High in tannins, acid
• “Fruity” aromas and pigments
• High yields, ease of • Wines of great
longevity
mechanical harvest
• Varietal character
• Adapts well to various soil elusive outside of
types in hot regions Piedmont (Alba)
• May need fog?
Carignan(e) Sangiovese
(Catalan, Mazuelo) (Brunello)
• May be the most • Main variety in Chianti
productive vine Classico, Tuscan Italy
worldwide • Clonal variability makes
• Mostly grown in wine quality extremely
south France, Spain, variable (Grosso & Piccolo)
California, Chile • Low pigment content, ease
• Very susceptible to of oxidation, fading wines
mildew and other • Blends well with Cabernet
diseases in humid Sauvignon
regions • Traditional blends with
• Main virtue is high Trebbiano (a white grape)
yields (12 tons/acre), • Low yields but good
and good color disease resistance
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Zinfandel Mourvèdre
(Monastrell,
(Primitivo) Mataro)
• California’s “native”
grape variety • Main variety in Bandol
wines of Provence
• From Slovenia via Italy
(as Primitivo) • Needs warm climate for
• Widely planted in quality (California,
Northern California Australia, Valencia)
• Very productive vine • Notes of blackberry,
• Robust wines, berry notes, “animal,” acidic and
rich tannins, high alcohol, astringent juice
spicy (wasted in blush) • Has substantial body,
• Uneven bunch ripening blending well with Syrah
• In warmer regions, needs and Grenache
low vigor sites to produce
high quality wines
Syrah (Shiraz)
• From upper Rhone Valley in
France
• Blended in Hermitage and
Cote Rôtie wines
• Notes of black pepper,
chocolate, cloves,
cinnamon; rich tannins
• Major variety in Australia,
increasing in California too
• Produces very different but
equally interesting wines in
both cool and warm regions
• Not synonymous with Petite
Sirah in California
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