Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/528936
72 P R A C T I C A L W I N E R Y & V I N E YA R D July 2015 B O O K E X C E R P T identified before harvest and the fruit in these zones was separately harvested and vinified. In 2011, R. Bramley gave examples of the potential benefits to growers from the sale of their fruit to wineries, through selective harvesting based on remote sensing of vine vigor before har- vest. (Bramley, R.G.V., J. Ouzman and C. Thornton. 2011 "Selective harvest- ing is a feasible and profitable strategy even when grape and wine production is geared toward large fermentation vol- umes." Aus. J. of Grape & Wine Research 17, 298–305.) The realization of these benefits will depend on several factors such as access to technical expertise to interpret vine vigor maps, a commitment to collecting such data for several seasons, the ability to harvest parts of blocks separately and the willingness of wineries to pay an adequate price for higher quality fruit. (Krstic, M. 2012 "Precision management technologies prove their value in selective harvesting in Australia's major production regions." Wine & Viticulture J. 27, 34–36.) An increasing number of small produc- ers are adopting what might be called a de facto approach to PV. For example, Lloyd Brothers' vineyard of 12.5 hect- ares of Shiraz vines in the McLaren Vale region, South Australia, was planted in four blocks from 1998 to 2000 and origi- nally treated as one commercial block with no regard to soil and other environ- mental variations across the blocks. Now, however, the top priority is to make small batch wines from selected rows within a single block. In 2007, Jodie Armstrong said, "The wines reflect the terroir of the slope with fruit from the top rows exhibiting a rich, ripe, dark berry character. The section in the middle of the slope provides more juicy fruit flavors, with rows from the bottom of the block providing a per- fumed blending agent. We typically view the vineyard in three sections: super- premium, premium and table wine." PWV Toll-Free: 877-552-4828 909-464-1373 • Fax: 909-464-1603 For your nearest dealer, contact: BRANCHLOK™ Used for lateral training of trellised branches and cordons to 12-14 gauge wire. Branchlok™ is available in three lengths: 2½", 3¼", 3 ¾". Patent No. 4,665,000 WineVineBranchLokAD.qxp_Layout 1 12/1/14 2:46 Promote your wines to leading Zinfandel enthusiasts and extend your winery's relationship in the market. Join Us! We are champions of Zinfandel— America's Heritage Wine Become part of our proud legacy zinfandel.org • 530-274-4900 Zinfandel Advocates & Producers is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. ZAP is dedicated to advancing public knowledge of and appreciation for American Zinfandel and its unique place in our culture and history. You know how good your Zinfandel is... Map showing the digital terroirs for a vineyard in the Cowra region, New South Wales, Australia. The terroirs are defined by a local site index incorporating site-specific net radiation, temperature differences due to aspect and height, readily available water, clay-to-silt ratio and root zone depth. Sites with low local site index are better suited to late varieties because of lower temperatures and frost risk. These sites also have high readily available water and are not suited to vigorous varieties like Shiraz. (Courtesy of Dr. James Taylor, Australian Centre for Precision Agriculture, Sydney, Australia.) SUBSCRIBE ONLINE AND SAVE. Print + Digital Magazine 12 monthly issues a year for $28 winesandvines.com/subscribe