5.1 Site Selection

Question 1

What are key influences on site selection when establishing a vineyard?

Answer 1

• Style, quality, and price of the wines
• “other” logistical, legal and cost factors the
• ROI
  
  • some gi’s restrict yields
  • vine yields may be low in early years
  • old vines sb well cared for and productive

Question 2

What is needed in a vineyard site to produce high volume, inexpensive or mid-level wines? Give an example.

Answer 2

Focus will be on cost and turnaround of product.

• Flat & fertile site
  
  • high yield,
  • adequate ripening,
  • allows for mechanization)
• Warm, dry climate
  
  • (low risk of fungal disease, save $ on spraying)
  • ability to ripen
• • Ex: Central Valley, Chile

To be careful of

• large yields - Lack of concentration in grapes
• warm/hot climate - Jammy aromas, lack of freshness

Question 3

What is needed in vineyard site to produce super premium wines? Give an example.

Answer 3

Growing optimum grapes of the composition and quality needed for the style of wine (rather than focus on cost)

• maximise potential to ripen
• acid, aromas, tanning, colour, sugar

If a cool climate

• • sun exposure and aspect
• (Ex: Rheingau, Germany)

If a warm climate

• • altitude for diurnal range
• • body of water , access to water/moderating influences
• (Ex: Lújan de Cuyo in Mendoza, Argentina)

Question 4

Name 7 logistical, legal, and cost factors that go into site selection.

Answer 4

1. price of land within desirable GIs
2. location, layout and topography of the site
3. steep slopes unsuitable for mechanisation, labour expensive/hard to attain
4. source and cost of irrigation
5. access to the vineyard site/distance from the winery (limit risk of oxidation/ microbial spoilage in transportation)
6. proximity to towns/cities for labour, supplies
7. Legal restrictions - PDO protected designation of origin

Question 5

Why might PDO come into play when selecting sites for wine growth?

Answer 5

A producer investing in expensive PDO land with the intention of creating a wine that does not meet the rules (and therefore will be declassified) is taking a business risk

Question 6

What is the physical definition of terroir?

Answer 6

• A sense of place: when wine reflects physical char of place they are grown climate, soil, aspect, elevation.
• human intervention influences - planting density, type of trellising
• soil influences - the geological make-up of the soil - Ex: Perceived chalkiness of the taste of Chardonnay

Disputing this

• the scientists argue the grape is a product only of its components, and the winemaking.
• Another is that terroir can be manipulated: 1. Picking over-ripe fruit 2. Ageing wines in new oak

Marketing

Terroir is a concept heavily used in marketing
“single vineyard” is a popular term