Management of the Vineyard

There is general agreement among viticulturists, both technicians and growers, on the ideal bunch characteristics for grapes that are grown to produce wines through dehydration. To achieve the qualitative profile of grapes, proper vineyard management is essential and achieved by making appropriate choices including consideration of genetic, environmental and cultural options. The vineyard design should consider wider vine spacing and a lower vine density compared to designs adopted in the same area by vineyards producing grapes for conventional processing. Among the mechanized training forms (espaliers and curtains), the espalier form appears to have greater advantages with regard to effective canopy management and proper quality grape manipulation. Good phenolic maturity is important for vinification. This is why particular interest is devoted to stimulating grape dehydration before harvest directly in the vineyard. This edition first published 2013