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GRAPE GRO WING Note the overhead sprinklers for frost protection and drip irrigation in this Sauvignon Blanc vine- yard. A modified Lyre system using movable foliage "catch" wires is spaced at 12 feet by 7 feet. equipped with drip irrigation systems. Fol- lowing the advent of drip irrigation, water use by Napa Valley growers has become very efficient and prescribed. A tremendous amount of research on irrigation treat- ments and their effects on vine physiology and wine quality have been completed. There are sites with deep loam or clay loam soils that require no irrigation or are intentionally dry farmed. Many grow- Skolnik_Dir10_Jan10.qxd 10/19/09 10:04 AM Page 1 ers advocate deficit-irrigation strategies. These irrigation strategies maintain the vine water status post-veraison at 70%- 80% of the evapo-transpiration rate. Most growers understand spatial varia- tions in the vineyard and adjust irrigation within blocks or sub-blocks of the vine- yard. Along with constant visual inspec- tion to determine the water status of the vines, many growers rely on soil moisture measurements and gauge the midday leaf water potential utilizing a pressure cham- ber. Many growers will not start irrigating until the vines get to -10 bars of midday leaf water potential. Along with the soil and plant water measurements, the field observation of vine status, especially observing shoot tips, is critical. Cluster removal, known as thinning, occurs just prior to veraison or at verai- son in almost every ultra-premium vine- yard in Napa Valley. Typically, the grower removes the clusters that are touching or are compacted together in order to pro- vide light to the berries and also reduce the potential for fungal disease. Many growers, especially the producers of red grape varieties, "color thin" at 80%- 95% veraison by removing any green or partially green clusters. This process is un- • Calibration-free Temperature Control • Fermentation Status From Anywhere • Brix/Temp/Pump-over Tracking • Alarms via E-mail or Text • Production Software Interfaces • Cellar Temperature, Humidity & CO2 • Flexible Energy Management Tools 707 938-1300 WWW.ACROLON.COM INNOVATION 12th 36 Wines & Vines nOVeMBeR 2011 ® STAINLESS STEEL COOPERAGE Providing leading wine makers with stainless steel barrels of high quality, durability, and design. RELIABILITY SKOLNIK INDUSTRIES, INC. 4900 SOUTH KILBOURN AVENUE CHICAGO IL 60632-4593 PHONE 773.735.0700 FAX 773.735.7257 TOLL FREE 1.800.441.8780 HTTP://WINEDRUM.SKOLNIK.COM EMAIL: SALES@SKOLNIK.COM