4.3 VINEYARDS GRAPE VARIETIES Grapes are small, round, edible fruits, usually purple, red, or green, that grow in on a climbing plant of genus , called vine or smoothskinned, bunches Vitis grapevine. Chardonnay Vine species The vine is a very robust and tenacious plant, with remarkable capacities of adaptation in various environmental and climatic conditions, where the tenacity and the high development of its roots have allowed its survival. Within the genus is the primary species used in the global wine industry. Other species are and , all originating from the American continent. They have a strategical importance for the production of wine because they are, unlike , resistant to the attacks of the devastating . 1 Vitis, Vitis vinifera Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia Vitis rotundifolia Vitis vinifera phylloxera 2 MORE Vine roots can reach a length of even six metres digging down in the soil and searching for precious water and nutrients. 1 MORE Plants of Vitis vinifera are grafted on rootstocks of American species – in particular Vitis riparia – in order to contrast the devastating effects of this parasite. 2 Vineyards A is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also for table-grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. A vineyard is often characterised by its ‘terroir’, a French term which refers to the specific geographical and geological characteristics of its grapevine plantations: its soil and subsoil, its drainage and and its microclimate, which includes temperature, precipitation, and exposure to sun, wind and fog. Grapes are usually from early September until early November in the northern hemisphere, and mid-February until early March in the southern hemisphere. In some cool areas in the southern hemisphere, like Tasmania, harvesting extends into May. vineyard raisins, slope, harvested Nebbiolo Factors affecting vine cultivation What determines the eventual success of a vineyard is an ideal which the requirements of: site fulfils full sunlight; soil composition (sandy loam soils) and drainage; suitable moisture (depending on soil types and vine varieties); suitable slope (the further from the Equator, the the slope to get the ideal sunshine exposure); steeper proper protection against frost; an open area with a which may prevent the fungal diseases. breeze However, the quality of the wine depends on grape variety, weather conditions during the growing season, soil minerals and acidity, time of and method, too. harvest, pruning 1 DO Is wine produced in your region? What varieties of grapes are grown? 1