Viticulture

Question 1

Name 3 method to combat frost.

Answer 1

• Placing oil stove/smudge pots in between vines to heat up the air.
• Aspersion system: spraying water to form coating ice on the vines to protect the vines.
• Placing large propellers or turbines to mix in warm air in the vineyards.

Question 2

What is veraison?

Answer 2

When black grapes turn from green to black. Usually in July.

Question 3

What is floraison?

Answer 3

Flowering

Question 4

What is noble rot called in Germany, France, Italy and Hungary?

Answer 4

• German: Edëlfaule
• French: Pourriture noble
• Italian: Muffa nobile
• Hungarian: Azsúsodás

Question 5

Name the Fungal Diseases

Answer 5

Powdery Mildew (Oidium)
Downy Mildew (Peronospora)
Eutypa Dieback (Dead Arm)
Esca (Black Measles)
Black Rot
Bunch Rot

Question 6

Describe the effect of Powdery Mildew (Oidium)

Answer 6

Attack green parts of vines and develop white spores. Causing grapes to split open and fall off.

Question 7

Name the cure of Powdery Mildew

Answer 7

Application of Sulfur

Question 8

Describe the effect of Downy Mildew (Peronospora)

Answer 8

Attacks the leaves, causes them to fall off. Thus, reduces photosynthesis causing late ripening.

Question 9

Name the cure for Downy Mildew

Answer 9

Bordeaux Mixture: spray of copper sulfate, water and lime

Question 10

Describe the effect of Eutypa Dieback (Dead Arm)

Answer 10

Attacks the wood and cause one side of the vine to fall off.

Question 11

Name the famous producer and wine of Eutypa Dieback

Answer 11

D’Arenberg - Dead Arm Shiraz

Question 12

Describe the effect of Esca (Black Measles)

Answer 12

Weaken growth, affect berry development and discolor leaves. Attack and soften the interior of trunk and arms, causing rot from inside.

Question 13

Name the Bacterial Diseases

Answer 13

Pierce’s Disease
Crown Gall (Black Knot)
Bacterial Blight

Question 14

Name the diseases caused by leafhoppers.

Answer 14

• Flavescence dorée: delay budbreak and slow shoot growth. Eventually causing bunch to fall off and berries to shrivel. Also discolor leaves.
• Pierce’s disease: stop vines from producing chlorophyll

Question 15

Name 2 diseases caused by cold, wet weather at flowering stage.

Answer 15

• Coulure: Also known as “Shatter” causing flowers to fall and no grape to form.
• Millerandage: causing uneven grape size. Resulting uneven ripeness of grapes in a bunch.

Question 16

What are the rootstock used for grafting to combat Phylloxera?

Answer 16

• Vitis Aestivalis
• Vitis Ruparia
• Vitis Rupestris
• Vitis Berlandieri
• Vitis Lambrusca

Question 17

Which regions in the world are phylloxera free?

Answer 17

Australia, *other than Yarra Yalley, and Chile.

Question 18

What is the yeast commonly used in winemaking?

Answer 18

Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Question 19

Why would a wine maker choose to use cultured yeasts instead of indigenous yeasts for fermentation?

Answer 19

• To kill unwanted yeasts and acetobacter.
• To make stable quality of wines in every vintage.
• Cultured yeasts can tolerate higher level of alcohol during fermentation.

Question 20

In which year Biodynamics is introduced, and by who?

Answer 20

In 1924 by Rudolf Steiner (Austrian)

Question 21

What is the main ingredient of the Biodynamics preparation?

Answer 21

• 500: Manure
• 501: Silica
• 508: Horsetail plants
• 502: Yarrow flowers
• 503: Chamomile flowers
• 504: Stinging nettles
• 505: Oak bark
• 506: Dandelion flowers
• 507: Valerian flowers

Question 22

Pros and cons of hand picking.

Answer 22

• Pros: picking the best quality grapes, reducing bruise on grape
• Cons: high labour cost, taking longer time

Question 23

Pros and cons of machine harvest.

Answer 23

• Pros: spending less time, low labour cost
• Cons: causing bruises on grapes, risk of harvesting unwanted stuffs.

Question 24

Why does harvesting usually occur early in the morning?

Answer 24

Lower temperature, prevent fermentation and slow down oxidation.

Question 25

Name the 2 common pruning method

Answer 25

Cane Pruning Spur Pruning

Question 26

Describe cane pruning

Answer 26

- usually for climate prone to frost - low to moderate vigor vines - preferred for higher vine density

Question 27

Describe spur pruning

Answer 27

- common in warm climate regions - moderate to high vigor vines - preferred for lower vine density - easier to prune

Question 28

Name the training method that commonly spur pruned

Answer 28

Cordon Training

Question 29

Name the training method that is either spur-pruned or cane-pruned

Answer 29

Head Training

Question 30

Name the basic system that is cane-pruned/head-trained

Answer 30

Guyot system

Question 31

Name the basic system that is spur-pruned/head-trained

Answer 31

Gobelet system

Question 32

Name the region that commonly uses Gobelet system

Answer 32

Southern Rhone Southern Italy (albarello) Spain (en vaso) Australia (bush vines)

Question 33

Name the basic system that is spur-pruned/cordon-trained

Answer 33

Cordon de Royat

Question 34

Name the region that uses Cordon de Royat system

Answer 34

Champagne for Pinot Noir

Question 35

Describe Vertical Shoot Positioning (VSP) system

Answer 35

- Can be cane-/spur-pruned - A type of trellising system where wood/wire structure is used to support the climbing vines.

Question 36

Describe the Tendone system

Answer 36

- Can be cane-/spur-trained - Vines are trained upward and overhead along wooden frames - Known as pergola in Italy - Known as enforcado in Spain