You know the wines, but how well do you know the vines? If you can’t name the eight—yes, eight—parts of a typical wine grape vine, it’s time to take some notes. We promise, it’s not as dull as it sounds. Why take a closer look? Your understanding of how the terroir (the unique combination of sun, soil and water of a region) affect each aspect of the vines will give you a deeper appreciation for the vino in your glass—not to mention all the hard work put in by the vineyard manager and his or her team. Want one more nifty reason to refresh your vine anatomy? Two words: Wow them. Yes, you will totally impress your fellow wine tasters on your next vineyard tour!
Before we jump into the vine anatomy, let’s look at some Paso Wines crafted from spectacular Paso Robles Vineyards
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Get quick, easy directions to Bodega de Edgar, click here
Brecon Estate is known for its singular Bordeaux wines that shine with distinct elegance. With some of the first plantings in the Adelaida district by one of the pioneers of the region, the winemaker produces Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon, converted and dry-farmed. It’s true: these vines have not been irrigated for four years, yet the vines naturally produce 2.5 tons to the acre. Talk about stressed fruit with fabulous flavor!
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Get quick, easy directions to Chronic, click here
Onward to the anatomy of a grape vine!
Root system
It all starts at the roots. You might have already guessed that the roots play a staring roll in great grape vines. Well, you’re right there! Like all plants, the rarely seen roots do the very important work of bringing nutrients—and precious water—up from the soil. Vines grow to various depths into the soil depending on the variety (rootstock), soil and climate. Some varieties develop very deep and almost vertical roots, while others (like table grapes) have a flat and shallow roots system and therefore require deep, fertile soil. Typical Paso Robles wine grapes are “stressed,” meaning they work hard to survive in sandy, rocky and clay soil types. In order to find the nutrients and water the plant needs to survive, the roots must search deeper and deeper into the soil. This is not a bad thing, and you’ll taste why. The result? Far more concentrated grape flavor.
Trunk – Like the trunk of the tree, this hardened stem is a permanent home for vines and branches that develop above and all around it. The trunk is permanent and sturdy—as it should be, as all of the above-ground vegetative (leaves and stems) and reproductive (flowers and fruits) depend on it. The height of the trunk and also its branches, shoots, and canes vary dramatically depending on the selected training system.
Canes – When a vine’s shoots mature and become woody, you can start calling them “canes.” The health and happiness of these canes are always a big concern for winegrowers during the dormant season. When pruning the canes in winter, winegrowers must think ahead several months to what kind of vine canopy size and shape they desire for the wines they’ll produce. These small but important decisions will control the quality of the crop in the coming season.
A side note on training systems and canes: What exactly is a training system, you ask? Think of the way you might train a house or garden plant that curls along your bookshelf or fence. In a cane-pruned training system, the top of the trunk is called the head. A fully developed trunk has arms—short branches from which canes and spurs originate. Depending on a selected training system, arms are located in different positions, and this will affect the amount of vegetative growth going forward. With a training system that utilizes cordons (cordon training with spur pruning), arms are spaced at regular intervals along their length. OK, what are “cordons?” (This is getting a tad long-winded, we know). They are simply extensions of the trunk that usually grow horizontally along a trellis wire.
Buds – Everyone’s favorite, right? Every spring, buds develop, and so does the promise of a new vintage. These buds pop up in what is called the “leaf axil,” right above the connection between the shoot and “leaf petiole.” Inside each bud, you will find three distinct growing points, each capable of producing a shoot, also known as primary, secondary and tertiary buds. Want to know something really wild? A bud is actually a highly compressed shoot with all its parts, including grape cluster. At “bud burst” or “bud break,” the primary bud begins to grow, but sometimes also secondary or tertiary buds, do too. This is something the winemaker will look at very closely as the fruit develops. If the primary bud is damaged or freezes, the secondary or tertiary buds will grow in place of the primary bud (grape insurance).
Shoots – You know this one, right? These are the green stems which develop from buds, and represent the primary growth structure of grapevines. The shoots that arise from primary (winter) buds are normally the fruit-producing shoots. The shoot consists of stems, leaves, tendrils and fruits. Sure, you’ve heard the term “canopy” thrown around—but what does it actually mean? This is a handy collective term that is used to describe the shoots, leaves, and fruits of the grapevine.
Leaves – Don’t skip this one! The leaves of the grapevine, as any other plant, provide nourishment and air—which is crucial for quality. Leaves are busybodies, always converting sunlight into usable energy for the plant. More leaves + more sun = more organic compounds the grapevine can use for its growth. However, too many leaves can be a big problem (review: pruning). The shape and size of the eaves are determined by the grapevine variety—as well as color, which varies from light to dark green.
Tendrils – These are the beautiful, slender curlycue structures that appear on the top and sides of stems (and what photographers love to capture when grape clusters burst forth). They grow until the grapevine is ready for harvest (after the harvest, they become wooden in nature). Since the grapevine is a climbing plant, it needs many tendrils to coil around small objects such as fences and trellises. These tiny “hands” help the plant reach up toward the sun.
Flowers and Grapes – Yes, flowers, but not the kind you might think. Flower clusters grow on one side of the shoot and leaves along the other. Most fruitful shoots develop from one to three flower clusters, depending on the variety and growing conditions. Each cluster may contain only a few or up to several hundred flowers at the time of bloom! That number (as usual) depends on the variety and environment, or terroir. When fertilized, the flower clusters develop into clusters of grapes. How exciting! From this “fruit set,” the grapes (or berries) as they are called, start to grow.
This blog is written by flavor fiend Hayley Cain. Follow her @flavorslo on Instagram or at astoldbyhayley.com.
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