Wine fundamentals and basic concepts

Wine Fundamentals

There are a number of different factors that can affect the quality of a grape berry. One of the most important factors is achieving optimal grape maturity. Kennedy (2002) notes that each grape is "an independent biochemical factory," and synthesizes the different elements essential for plant survival into flavor and aroma components. These elements are water, sugar, amino acids, minerals and micronutrients). Managing these different elements is key to ensuring that a wine has the desired flavor and aroma compounds for the grape style. It is essential therefore that these elements are aligned with the right type of grape for optimal development of that grape. It must be kept in mind that there is the potential for significant variation of berry characteristics even within a single cluster of berries, which is why one of the "objectives of modern viticulture is to produce a uniformly ripe crop" (Kennedy, 2002).

The amount of shade that the plant receives is important to the development of sugar. With too much shade, the grapes will fail to develop sugar adequately, have a high pH, and may have difficulty ripening and even poor color (Pontasch, 2011). Thus, farmers need to manage the vines, striking the right balance between leaves and berries. Too much sun will also have a negative impact on the sugar level, and may result in sunburn to the crop. Canopy management is one of the techniques used to manage the sugar level in the grapes, and this includes pruning, shoot positioning, shoot thinning, cluster thinning, leaf removal and trimming (Pontasch, 2011).

Water is used by the plants in the process of photosynthesis, and is also depleted by transpiration and evaporation. Thus, it is important to ensure that the berries receive the right amount of water so that they can grow to a plump size and ripen properly. According to Stevenson (2005), water is especially important during the early stages of vine growth in the springtime. Mediterranean climates, for example, often receive rainfall in storms during the late winter and early spring. It is also critical that the vines do not receive water shortly prior to harvest after a prolonged dry spell (for example an early autumn rainstorm).

Minerals and micronutrients are also important components in the development of the berries, and in turn in the development of the character of the wine. Often, soil is considered secondary to climate and canopy management in the development of flavor in a wine. Lanyon, Cass and Hansen (2004) found that there is poor understanding of the ability of different types of soils to deliver water to the vines. In water is a critical component in the development of full-flavored berries, surely soil type must be important. Salinity is better covered in the literature and indeed is a factor in the ability of a soil to deliver water to the vine. Low salinity soils are desirable and viticulture has conducted extensive research on ways to manage soil salinity.

Other soil issues include drainage, gas exchange, and soil hardness, and each of these will have an effect on the quality of the berry. Drainage is another issue related to water. Gas exchange, however, is important because soils that better facilitate gas exchange will produce healthier plants. Hardness will affect the ability of the roots to access mineral and nutrients from the soil.

These different factors will tend to vary from year to year. Climate can vary, especially with the amount of sunlight received and the timing of rainfalls. These factors therefore will affect the quality of the wine from year to year. The result is that some vintages will be closer to optimal than others. When the climate conditions are more ideal, the grapes will be as well, assuming proper viticulture practices have been followed. These are the years with the best vintages, because the berries will have the optimal fruit-to-skin ratio, and will have developed the best flavor and aroma compounds within the fruit.

Different types of grapes of course will affect the character of the wine. Each variety has its own unique, distinctive character. Wines that blend different varietals should exhibit the characteristics of each, and varietal wines should be an excellent expression of the character of a particular berry. It requires good growing conditions and viticulture to coax the optimal flavor and aroma out of a given crop, and these will be the vintages that best reflect that particular berry.