Title: WSET Level 3 / WSET Level 3 C06 - Vineyard Management

Front: What are the three main considerations a producer may need to make when choosing a site?
Back: Environmental conditionsBusiness considerationsGrape variety

Front: Which environmental conditions does a producer have to consider?
Back: Average temperatureRainfallSunlightSoil fertilityDrainage
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: Which environmental conditions does a producer have to consi

Front: What business considerations must be made by a producer when selecting a vineyard site?
Back: Proximity to utility infrastructure (power, water etc.)Availability of a vineyard workforceAccessibility for machineryCost of land

Front: What must a producer consider regarding grape variety when selecting a site?
Back: It must suit climatic conditionsDemandLegal restrictions

Front: How is a new vineyard prepared?
Back: Existing vegetation is clearedFertility tested (and corrected with fertiliser if necessary)Young vines are planted by hand or machineVines protected from animals with plastic sleevesIrrigation allowed to help young vines establish themselves

Front: Why is irrigation allowed in some places after new vines have been planted?
Back: To allow the vines to establish themselves

Front: When does a vine's first yield usually come?
Back: In the third year after planting

Front: At what age on average are vines usually replaced?
Back: 30 - 50 years

Front: What is the main factor that makes old vines desirable?
Back: They give a greater concentration of flavours

Front: What are the potential disadvantages to growing an old vine?
Back: Lower yieldSusceptibility to disease

Front: For how long is a vineyard typically left fallow after the vines are dug up?
Back: Three or more years

Front: What are the four main techniques used to manage a vine?
Back: TrainingPruningTrellisingPlanting density

Front: The grower will adapt the four main vineyard management techniques to suit the availability of these resources:
Back: TemperatureSunlightWaterSoil nutrients

Front: Name a practical consideration a grower may have to make when establishing a vineyard
Back: Use of machinery

Front: What is the ultimate goal of a grape-grower?
Back: To maximise the production of fruit at the desired quality level as economically as possible

Front: What is vine training?
Back: The shape of the permanent wood of the vine

Front: What are the two principal branches of vine training?
Back: Head trainingCordon training

Front: Both head training and cordon training can be...to benefit from heat retained by the soil or...to avoid frosts
Back: Low trainedHigh trained

Front: Describe a head-trained vine
Back: They have very little permanent woodSome have only a trunkSome have a few arms protruding from the trunkThey can be spur-pruned or replacement cane pruned

Front: Describe a vine which is cordon trained
Back: A trunk with one or two arms of permanent woodUsually spur pruned

Front: Describe a positive and negative of cordon training a vine
Back: The sturdy permanent cordon with shoots positioned along its length, makes mechanisation easierIt can take longer to establish because of the greater amount of permanent wood

Front: Cordon training can also be used to create...
Back: Big vine structures

Front: What is pruning?
Back: The removal of unwanted leaves, canes and permanent wood

Front: What is the purpose of pruning?
Back: It shapes the vine and limits its size

Front: When does pruning typically take place?
Back: Every summer and every winter

Front: What is the main purpose of winter pruning?
Back: To determine the number and location of buds that will form shoots in the coming season

Front: Why is it important to ensure that buds are not too close together?
Back: To help with canopy management

Front: What are the two styles of winter pruning?
Back: Spur pruningReplacement cane pruning

Front: Describe spur pruning
Back: Spurs are either distributed along a cordon or around the top of the trunk

Front: Describe replacement cane pruning
Back: Typically one or two canes are retainedEach cane is tied horizontally to the trellis for supportMost common on head-trained vines

Front: What are the two main disadvantages to replacement cane pruning?
Back: It requires a large, skilled workforce to choose suitable canes and train themIt is more complex than spur pruning

Front: What is the alternative name for replacement cane pruning?
Back: Guyot training

Front: What does summer pruning involve?
Back: Trimming the canopy to restrict vegetative growth and direct sugar production to the grapeIt can involve leaf stripping so that bunches have optimal exposure to the sun

Front: What is a vine's 'canopy'?
Back: All green parts of the vine

Front: What is a grower's most important concern when considering canopy management?
Back: Whether to trellis

Front: What is a trellis?
Back: A permanent structure of stakes and wires, used to support any replacement canes and the vine's annual growth

Front: What is a bush vine?
Back: The vines do not have a trellis system and the shoots can hang down as far as the groundThey are head-trained and spur pruned

Front: What kind of climate is a bush-trained vine most suited to? Give two examples...
Back: Warm/hot, dry, sunnySouthern RhôneBarossa Valley
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: What kind of climate is a bush-trained vine most suited to?

Front: Why is bush-training best suited to a hot, sunny environment?
Back: The extra shade helps to protect the grapes

Front: Why is bush-training unsuitable for cool or wet regions?
Back: The shade can impede grape ripeningLack of airflow can promote disease

Front: Describe vines in Beaujolais
Back: They are head-trained and spur-prunedThe buds are tied together at the tips, helping to expose bunches to air and sunlight

Front: What kind of vines are not suitable for mechanical harvesting?
Back: Untrellised

Front: Give another name for bush-training
Back: Gobelet

Front: Describe the two main aspects of trellised vineyards What is their collective term?
Back: Each row of vines requires a line of posts joined by horizontal wiresCanes and shoots are tied to the trellisCanopy management
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: Describe the two main aspects of trellised vineyards

Front: What are the three important reasons for canopy management?
Back: To control the amount of sunlight that gets to the canopyTo improve air circulationTo aid mechanisation

Front: How does trellising aid mechanisation?
Back: It separates leaves from grapes

Front: What is the secondary benefit of separating leaves and fruit?
Back: Spraying of insecticides and fungicides is more effective

Front: What is the most widely used trellising system?
Back: Vertical Shoot Positioning (VSP)

Front: Which pruning system can VSP be used with?
Back: Either

Front: Describe VSP
Back: Shoots are trained vertically and tied in place onto the trellis

Front: How can VSP be adapted in hot, sunny regions?
Back: Rather than tying the top of the shoots, allowing them to flop over, providing some shade for the fruit

Front: Why might a grape grower choose adapted VSP over bush vine training?
Back: It allows for mechanisation

Front: How is planting density measured?
Back: It is the number of vines planted in a given area

Front: What is a hectare?
Back: An area enclosed by a square with 100m sides

Front: What is the rough range of planting densities?
Back: 1,000 - 10,000 vines per hectare

Front: How does an acre relate to a hectare?
Back: One acre is approximately 0.4 hectares

Front: Name a very important set of criteria when deciding on planting density
Back: Availability of nutrients and water

Front: Explain the most advantageous planting density considerations for areas with limited water availability
Back: Low planting density allows each vine's roots to take up water from a larger volume of soil without any competition

Front: Explain the effect on a vine of having low levels of nutrients but sufficient water?
Back: It can still grow vigorously and produce lots of vegetative growth in preference to fruit

Front: In a situation where a vine has plenty of rainfall/water, what may a grower do to reduce vigour?
Back: Plant at high density to provide competition for resources

Front: How may pruning be used to affect vine vigour in a well watered area? Describe why accuracy is important
Back: Careful winter pruning can affect vine vigourToo few buds left means the buds will have too much energy in the form of carbohydrates and will grow too vigorously and vice versa
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: How may pruning be used to affect vine vigour in a well watered area?

Front: What are the two human-controlled factors in the vineyard which can affect vine vigour?
Back: Planting densityPruning
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: What are the two human-controlled factors in the vineyard wh

Front: What is the problem for a winemaker when there is ample rainfall and very fertile soils?
Back: Vines can be overly vigorous Pruning and planting density are often not enough

Front: What is an additional practice which can be used when planting density and pruning aren't enough to reduce vigour sufficiently?
Back: Vines may be planted at low density with multiple cordons or canes

Front: What is yield?
Back: A measure of the amount of grapes produced

Front: In what units may yield be measured?
Back: Weight Volume

Front: What are the three principal reasons why a winemaker may need to know yield?
Back: Legal requirementsContractual obligationsPredicting tank space

Front: How may yield be approximately predicted?
Back: By observing the number of buds left on a vine after winter pruning

Front: Which factors may make predicting yield difficult/inaccurate?
Back: Frost damagePoor fruit setPests and diseases

Front: How may yields be reduced by the winemaker?
Back: By removing immature grapes shortly after véraison

Front: What is the process of removing immature grapes after véraison called?
Back: Green harvesting

Front: Why must green harvesting be carefully timed?
Back: If done at the wrong time, the vine will compensate for the loss by increasing the size of the grapes that have been retained, causing flavour dilution and a re-increase of yield

Front: What effect does yield have on grape quality?
Back: No discernible effect

Front: What are the broad potential effects of pests and diseases?
Back: Reduced yield Reduced fruit quality

Front: What effect does leaf-damage have on a vine?
Back: It reduces photosynthesis and consequently limits the vine's ripening ability

Front: What are nematodes?
Back: Microscopic worms that attack the roots of the vine, interfering with water and nutrient uptake

Front: What is the other effect a nematode can have other than interfering with nutrient/water uptake?
Back: Transmitting vine diseases

Front: What is the best treatment for nematodes?
Back: Prevention

Front: How may nematodes be effectively prevented?
Back: Sanitising the soil before replantingUsing resistant rootstocks

Front: What are the two biggest problems when it comes to birds and mammals?
Back: They can eat large numbers of grapesHalf eaten/crushed grapes are more susceptible to fungal disease

Front: How are birds and mammals deterred?
Back: Nets and fences

Front: What do insects do to a vine?
Back: Feed on grapes and leaves

Front: How is the problem of insects treated?
Back: With insecticide sprays or integrated pest management

Front: What kind of environment do downy and powdery mildew thrive in?
Back: Warm, humid environments

Front: Which parts of the vine can downy and powdery mildew attack?
Back: All green parts
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: Which parts of the vine do downy and powdery mildew attack?

Front: What effect does it have on a wine if attacked by mildew?
Back: Grapes lose their fruity flavourThe wine develops a mouldy, bitter taint

Front: What is grey rot caused by?
Back: The fungus Botrytis Cinerea

Front: In what conditions does grey rot thrive?
Back: Damp conditions

Front: Which part of the vine does grey rot attack?
Back: Grapes

Front: What effect can grey rot have on black grapes?
Back: They can lose their colour

Front: What is noble rot?
Back: The name for grey rot when it has been used for winemaking

Front: How was powdery mildew traditionally treated?
Back: With a sulphur-based spray

Front: How was downy mildew traditionally treated?
Back: With Bordeaux Mixture - a copper based spray

Front: How is spraying most commonly done?
Back: By tractor

Front: Why must spraying stop close to harvest?
Back: So that there are no harmful chemical residues in the wine

Front: Other than spraying, how may the risk of fungal diseases developing be reduced?
Back: Using appropriate canopy management

Front: Explain how canopy management may reduce the chance of fungal disease
Back: An open vine canopy allows greater flow of air, promoting evaporation and keeping it dry

Front: What's the big advantage of preventing fungal disease with only canopy management?
Back: It's financially and environmentally beneficial, as sprays are not needed

Front: What do viruses do to a vine?
Back: The reduce its ability to function

Front: How do viruses affect wine?
Back: They can dramatically reduce yield and quality

Front: How are viruses usually spread among vines?
Back: Via cutting or nematodes

Front: What treatments are there for vine viruses?
Back: None

Front: How can viruses be eradicated?
Back: By digging up vines and sanitising the land

Front: How do bacterial diseases affect vines?
Back: Many just reduce grape quality and quantity, but some can kill the vines

Front: How are bacterial diseases usually spread?
Back: By small insects called sharpshooters

Front: How may bacterial diseases be treated or cured?
Back: They can't

Front: How can bacterial diseases be prevented?
Back: Strict quarantine procedures and interrupting the lifecycle of the sharpshooters

Front: How may bacterial diseases be eradicated?
Back: Digging up vines and sanitising the land

Front: What viticultural practice took off in the second half of the twentieth century?
Back: The use of man made sprays/chemicals to control pests and diseasesAn increased use of fertilisers

Front: Why has chemical spraying become a concern?
Back: It damages the environment

Front: What are the three main options available to those wanting to reduce chemical spraying?
Back: Sustainable agricultureOrganic agricultureBiodynamic agriculture

Front: Are man-made chemicals prohibited in sustainable agriculture?
Back: No

Front: Fundamentally, what is sustainable agriculture?
Back: Growers are encouraged to pay closer attention to pest lifecycles and weather, in order to prevent diseases and outbreak before it occurs

Front: What is another possible name for sustainable agriculture when related specifically to pests?
Back: Integrated Pest Management

Front: How may pest numbers be controlled during IPM?
Back: By encouraging the presence of the pests' natural predators

Front: What is organic agriculture?
Back: Similar to sustainable agriculture, but with only a limited number of the traditional treatments against pests and diseases and in smaller quantities It is a set of accredited practices

Front: Why is organic viticulture inconsistent?
Back: Accreditation boards vary with regard to standards

Front: What is the one main rule all organic vineyards must follow to be accredited?
Back: They need to undergo a period of conversion before they can be certified

Front: Who founded Biodynamic Agriculture?
Back: Rudolf Steiner and Maria Thun

Front: What broadly, is biodynamic agriculture?
Back: It adopts organic practices but also incorporates philosophy and cosmologyVineyard soil is seen as part of a connected system with Earth, the air and other planetsPractitioners adapt growing practices in coincidence with cosmic cycles

Front: In biodynamic agriculture, what is used as fertiliser, disease treatment and pest deterrent?
Back: Homeopathic remedies called treatments

Front: How does a vineyard officially become biodynamic?
Back: By being certified

Front: When does budburst occur in the northern and Southern Hemispheres?
Back: March - AprilSeptember - October

Front: When does early shoot and leaf growth occur in the northern and Southern Hemispheres?
Back: March - MaySeptember - November

Front: Where does flowering and fruit set occur in the northern and Southern Hemispheres?
Back: May - JuneNovember - December

Front: When does Véraison and berry ripening occur in the northern and Southern Hemispheres?
Back: July - SeptemberJanuary - March

Front: When does harvest occur in the northern and Southern Hemispheres?
Back: September - OctoberMarch - April

Front: When is winter dormancy in the northern and Southern Hemispheres?
Back: December - MarchJuly - September

Front: At what mean temperature does budburst generally begin?
Back: 10C
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: At what temperature does budburst begin?

Front: The temperature at which budburst occurs depends on...
Back: Grape variety

Front: Name two varieties which bud at relatively low temperatures. Give another name for this...
Back: Chardonnay and Pinot NoirEarly-budding varieties

Front: Name one variety which buds at relatively low temperatures. Give another name for this...
Back: Cabernet SauvignonA late-budding variety

Front: What is the biggest risk to budburst?
Back: Spring frosts

Front: What practice begins at budburst?
Back: Spraying

Front: Describe what happens during 'early shoot and leaf growth'? How is energy provided for this?
Back: Shoots grow rapidly until the vine flowersInitially fuelled by stored carbohydrate reservesEnergy provided partially by leaves as they grow and begin to photosynthesise
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: Describe what happens during 'early shoot and leaf growth'?

Front: When are water and nutrients most important during a plant's lifecycle?
Back: Early shoot and leaf growth

Front: If practiced, when does shoot-tying take place?
Back: During early shoot and leaf growth

Front: What does the vine most need during flowering? Why?
Back: Warm temperaturesPlenty of sunshineLittle or no rainPollination may be disrupted, reducing fruit-set
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: What does the vine most need during flowering?

Front: What is fruit set? What else occurs?
Back: When a flower develops into a grape Unpollinated flowers drop off
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: What is fruit set?

Front: What is it called when more flowers than normal fail to fertilise?
Back: Coulure

Front: What is Millerandage?
Back: When grapes form without seeds and remain small

Front: What is the outcome of Coulure or Millerandage?
Back: Reduced yields

Front: What is generally the cause of Millerandage and Coulure?
Back: Cold, cloudy or rainy weather during pollination

Front: How long do grapes grow before veraison?
Back: 6 - 8 weeks

Front: What is véraison? Describe it
Back: The point at which grapes begin to ripenSkin changes colour
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: What is véraison?

Front: What occurs between Véraison and ripening?
Back: Grapes swell and fill with waterSugar levels rise, acid levels dropColour pigments and flavour compounds accumulateTannins develop

Front: What conditions are ideal for ripening?
Back: Warm and sunny conditionsMild water stress to inhibit shoot growth and encourage grape ripening

Front: What processes may happen during berry ripening? What is the purpose?
Back: Summer pruningGreen harvestingSummer pruning removes excess foliage, ensuring the canopy remains openGreen harvesting controls yield and improves fruit quality
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: What processes may happen during berry ripening? What is the

Front: What conditions are ideal for harvest? Why?
Back: DryExcess rainfall before harvest can cause the grapes to swell, diluting flavour Chances of rot are increased too
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: What conditions are ideal for harvest?

Front: When must spraying finish?
Back: A reasonable time before harvest to ensure there are no harmful residues in the wine

Front: What happens naturally during winter dormancy?
Back: Shoots become woodyLeaves fallThe vine stores carbohydrates in its roots

Front: What effect can winter freeze have on a vine?
Back: Buds can dieThe vine can die

Front: How may a vine be protected from winter freeze?
Back: By piling earth up around the vine

Front: What may a grape grower do during winter dormancy?
Back: Winter pruning

Front: How is Véraison defined?
Back: The point at which grapes begin to ripen

Front: What signals the start of Véraison?
Back: A change in colour of the grapes' skin

Front: What happens to the colours of black and white grapes during Véraison?
Back: Black grapes turn red, then purpleWhite grapes turn translucent and golden

Front: What happens within grapes as they ripen?
Back: Sugar levels rise and acid levels drop

Front: How is the ripening process in a grape tracked?
Back: Monitoring the rise in sugar levels

Front: What else may happen within a grape as acid levels drop and sugar levels rise?
Back: The grapes will develop their signature flavoursTannins in the grape skins become less bitter and astringent

Front: What dictates when the ideal balance of sugar, acid, flavour and tannin is reached in a grape?
Back: Grape varietyClimateStyle/quality of wine being produced

Front: When does harvest ideally begin?
Back: When the vigneron believes the grapes have the exact qualities needed to create the desired style of wine

Front: What may cause a winemaker to bring the harvest forward?
Back: Poor weather conditions

Front: What does hail do to crops?
Back: Destroys them

Front: What can rain do to crops?
Back: Cause the grapes to swell excessively and dilute the juice

Front: Why do winemakers need to coordinate the arrival of fruit at the winery?
Back: To make sure it is not suddenly overwhelmed with fruit it does not have the capacity to process

Front: How is harvesting done?
Back: By hand or machine

Front: Name the main factors which dictate how a vineyard should be harvested
Back: How the vineyard is plantedLabour availability/costVineyard topographyWeather conditionsWinemaking choices

Front: How must premium wine be harvested?
Back: By machine or hand

Front: How do machine harvesters work?
Back: By shaking the trunk of the vine and collecting the ripe berries as they fall off, leaving the stalks behind

Front: What are the major disadvantages/difficulties of machine harvesting?
Back: They are unselective, often collecting unhealthy, damaged and unripe grapes, as well as bits of leaf, insects and other contaminantsThey can only be used on flat or gently sloping landThey are best suited to varieties whose grapes are not easily damaged and come away easily from their stemsThey cannot be used for wines whose grapes need to be picked in whole bunches
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: What is the major negative of machine harvesting?

Front: What is MOG?
Back: Matter Other than GrapesUnwanted contaminants collected often by machines during harvest

Front: How are MOG dealt with during harvest?
Back: They can be removed at the winery during sorting

Front: When might it not be possible to sort out MOG?
Back: Some harvesting operations are too large

Front: What is arguably the biggest advantage of machine harvesting?
Back: Speed

Front: Give two reasons as to why speed is such a big benefit when it comes to machine-harvesting
Back: The vintage may be threatened by bad weatherSome varieties may become overripe very quickly

Front: Why might it be beneficial that machines can work overnight? Explain your answer
Back: Grapes can be brought back to the winery when they are still coolIf they are cool, money is saved on cooling them before fermentationIt slows down the process of oxidation
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: Why might it be beneficial that machines can work overnight?

Front: Name two wines whose grapes need to be picked in whole bunches
Back: ChampagneBeaujolais

Front: Describe hand harvesting
Back: It involves pickers cutting off individual bunches of grapes with secateurs

Front: List the three main disadvantages of hand harvesting
Back: It is slowerIt is more labour-intensiveIt can be more expensive

Front: What is the biggest advantage of hand-harvesting?
Back: It allows grape selection to take place in the vineyard

Front: For which wines is hand-harvesting essential? Why?
Back: Those requiring grapes affected by noble rotOnset and level of rot can vary between bunchesLess damage occurs Grapes can be further protected from damage by transporting them in shallow, stackable trays
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: For which wines is hand-harvesting essential?

Front: Unlike machine harvesting, the...are retained
Back: Stems

Front: Why is it good that hand harvesting allows stems to be retained
Back: Whole, intact bunches can produce a very clean, pure juice when pressed during white winemakingIt is essential for whole-bunch fermentations in red winemaking

Front: Give three examples of places where machine harvesting is not possible. Give the reason
Back: DouroMoselNorthern Rhône