As a winemaker you have very likely decided upon a winemaking style and varietal and possibly whether or not you would prefer French, American or other origin oak barrel.
Vineyard surveys conducted over the last several growing seasons (2007-2009), have identified a significant number of vines showing symptoms of root and trunk disease.
Since the mid-1980’s winemaking conditions and practices have been evolving rapidly. The practice of delayed harvesting of grapes results in higher must pH and sugars as well as greater nutrient imbalance putting the yeast under extreme conditions.
Early winegrowing in Oregon always involved white wines. Although the first grapes were planted by retired French-Canadian fur trappers in the 1840s, many settlers in the second half of the nineteenth century had German heritage, and German white varieties, particularly Riesling, were favored.
Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, Summerland, B.C.
Synopsis:
The sensory quality of wines made in 2008 from a study of irrigation and N fertilization of Merlot vines will be evaluated by BCWGC Conference attendees. Treatments in the study included irrigation to provide the same total amount of water but applied daily or every 3 days; and N fertilization at 0 or 15 lb/ac applied at veraison in addition to the normal applications 25 and 20 lb/ac applied at budbreak and bloom, respectively.
The low temperatures experienced in late December 2008 and early January 2009 in the southern interior of British Columbia presented a unique opportunity to study the winter hardiness of commonly grown V. vinifera wine grape varieties. The rare combination of near-lethal threshold temperatures, an established temperature-monitoring network, and a large number of variety blocks within the monitored area created a rich source of data for the study.
A vineyard requires inputs of water and nutrients, it interacts with wildlife, insects and other organisms, it requires human labour, and it produces grapes that are processed into wine and ultimately consumed. How these inputs, interactions and processes are managed is what differentiates a vineyard that is sustainable from one that is not.
Tannins are polyphenols that are widespread in the vegetal kingdom and are present in various plants and food products (wine, tea, cocoa). Tannins are generally divided into two subgroups: condensed tannins and hydrolysable tannins. In wine, both types of tannins are present.
This presentation is a revision of our knowledge and understanding about the chemicals basic of wine aroma. One of the key points of the present knowledge is the surprising aroma- buffering effect played by ethanol and the major volatiles formed by fermentation. Such a system has the ability to suppress the effect of many odourants added to it, particularly of those with fruity characteristics.
