Stage 1
Key Facts
Style, Quality and Price
Conditions
- Sunlight: needed to photosynthesise sugars from carbon dioxide and water
- Warmth: too little or too much can slow down or stop photosynthesis
- Water: along with carbon dioxide, needed to make sugars
- Nutrients: small amounts needed
Climate
The weather (temperature, rainfall, sunshine) we may expect in a typical year.
- Affects: sunlight, warmth and water
- Affected by: latitude, altitude, the sea (+large bodies of water)
- Hot climate: higher alcohol, fuller body, more tannin, less acid
- Moderate climate: in between
- Cool climate: lower alcohol, lighter body, less tannin, more acid
Weather
The weather conditions of a particular year (vintage).
- Affects: sunlight, warmth and water
- Differences between years are greater for some regions than others
- Unusually hot, cool, wet or dry conditions affect style and quality
- Hail, high winds, floods and late frost are particular problems
Soils and Slopes
- Affects: water (through drainage and retention)
- sunlight (through aspect)
- warmth (through heat retention and reflection)
- nutrients (present in the soil)
Grape growing
- Vineyard activities: the amount of care taken in the vineyard can affect how evenly and how fully the grapes ripen
- Yields: lower yields can increase ripeness, sugars and flavour concentration
- Pests and diseases: animal pests, fungal attacks and long-term diseases can affect quality and quantity
- Harvest: in autumn (occasionally winter) when the grapes are ripe
- By hand (labour intensive, but allows whole bunches to be harvested)
- OR by machine (where vineyard is suitably large and flat)