Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/62507
WineEast n cold areas there is an abhorrent (but very necessary) practice called "replacement viticulture" in recognition that vines and/ or their parts come and go and that the ability of the grower to replace them will determine the economic success of the vineyard. Needless to say, outstanding viticulture will help all aspects of fruit quality and vine survival. If it is accepted that vine and vineyard uniformity is an important contributor to wine quality, then replacement viticulture is not the route to fine wine but rather a reality of winegrowing in the cold. Synchronicity is another virtuous feature of wine quality, and I that, too, is difficult to achieve in a vineyard with vines and parts of vines with different sizes, shapes, ages, etc. In general, try as much as possible to have a normal vineyard (see warmer regions). Vineyards on Long Island or the Niagara Peninsula are good examples of what winegrowers should strive to achieve. Visit and examine their design and maintenance features closely to understand what makes them successful. Avoid injury to the vine from grape hoes, string trimmers, large pruning wounds, etc., because they create portals for opportunistic bad guys such as crown gall. Even if I dislike replacement viticulture, I accept its necessity. The goal of every vineyard is to be sustainable, which includes profitability. Any open wire (i.e., missing vine or part(s) of a vine) detracts from a vineyard's ability to be profitable. A management strategy must include how to keep the trellis as full as possible. Growers should have a good program for replants, which are neither Vineyard Trellis Supplies • High-Tensile wire • Gripples • Wire splicers & anchors • Exclusion fence • Tensioning tools • Wood & composite posts • Hydraulic post drivers • Spinning jennies • And More! How to Build Trellis book 800-536-2683 www.kencove.com 50 Wines & Vines OCTOBeR 2011 Replacement Viticulture Is a Fact of Life The final installment of a three-part series about short-season viticulture in cool to cold climates By Mark Chien Wine East HIGHLIGHTS: • • • Recognizing that vines and vine parts come and go is a reality of winegrowing in cold-climate areas. The author discusses replacement viticulture relative to yields, canopy management and wine quality. Viticulture and winemaking become more challenging in cooler conditions, and are not for the faint of heart. Grapegrowing easy to install nor to cultivate. For example, how will you maintain adequate weed control in a vineyard with numerous replants? Many cold-climate growers have a regular program of replacing trunks, as they get beat up over the years. No one seems to know what impact this practice has on wine quality. If we believe that vine age has an impact on quality, what effect does the combination of older roots and renewed trunks have on the physiology of the vine and grape quality? Do smaller vines mean earlier maturity? Part of the reason for trying to create a smaller vine is to limit yield per vine, which, in theory at least, should help to promote earlier fruit maturity and help the vine's acclimation process. In many red wine vineyards I have seen the higher density vines ripening earlier than their wider spaced neighbors. The sooner the fruit is