4.3 VINEYARDS 92 Vine roots can reach a length of even six metres digging down in the soil and searching for precious water and nutrients. 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. Is wine produced in your region? What varieties of grapes are grown? breeze: brezza bunch: grappolo di uva coiled tendril: viticcio a spirale frost: gelo to fulfil: soddisfare grapevine: vite harvest: vendemmia to harvest: vendemmiare pruning: potatura raisin: uva passa site: posizione slope: pendio smooth-skinned: liscio steep: ripido vineyard: vigneto 192 Cultivation GRAPE VARIETIES Grapes are small, round, smoothskinned, edible fruits, usually purple, red, or green, that grow in bunches on a climbing plant of genus Vitis, called vine or grapevine. 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 Vitis, Vitis vinifera is the primary species used in the global wine industry. Other species are Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia and Vitis rotundifolia, all originating from the American continent. They have a strategical importance for the production of wine because they are, unlike Vitis vinifera, resistant to the attacks of the devastating phylloxera. Vineyards A vineyard is a plantation of grapebearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also for raisins, 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 slope, and its microclimate, which includes temperature, precipitation, and exposure to sun, wind and fog. Grapes are usually harvested from early September until early November in the northern hemisphere, and midFebruary until early March in the southern hemisphere. In some cool areas in the southern hemisphere, like Tasmania, harvesting extends into May. Chardonnay Factors affecting vine cultivation What determines the eventual success of a vineyard is an ideal site which fulfils the requirements of: 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 steeper the slope to get the ideal sunshine exposure); proper protection against frost; an open area with a breeze which may prevent the fungal diseases. However, the quality of the wine depends on grape variety, weather conditions during the growing season, soil minerals and acidity, time of harvest, and pruning method, too. Nebbiolo