Making Decisions That Will Last For A Lifetime… and Beyond.

College of Agricultural Sciences

Cooperative Extension

___________________________________________

Mark L. Chien

Viticulture Educator

Penn State Cooperative Extension

http://pawinegrape.com

Temperance Hill Vineyard

Willamette Valley, Oregon

Assumption:

We wish to grow high quality

hybrid or vinifera wines

Some Things to Do and Think About

1. Why am I doing this? Will it last?

2. Knowing what you do not know and asking how will I fill the

knowledge gap?

3. Who will do the work? Consultants, service companies or me…

4. … if me then education is the key: read or go to school

5. Visit vineyards and wineries, local and beyond …but be prepared with

good, smart questions

6. You’re doing it! Attend meetings, workshops, field days, etc.

7. Examine thy: a. Wallet: do I have the money to do this well?

b. Calendar/Datebook: do I have the time?

c. Body: do I have the physical strength?

d. Risk tolerance: fickle weather, birds, wine makers, consumers, etc.

d. Heart: do I have the passion for a long-term project?

e. Family: is my family on board with me?

3 excellent how-to books:

Filling the knowledge gap with

Available (PDF) now on PWGN: A Practical Guide to Developing a Commercial

Wine Vineyard. By Mark Chien

Viticulture Information Resources List: books, websites, periodicals; consultants, vendors, nurseries,

educational resources, etc.

The pre-plant laundry list: better to ask the hard questions now …

Quality . . .

• …in everything: grapes, winemaking, winery relationships, vineyard

materials and equipment, personnel, etc.

• …it’s the BEST marketing tool

• …it’s the surest and fastest way to success and sustainability

• …it will make your reputation

• It’s more fun to have a good product that you can be proud of and

others admire

Viticulture Quality Factors • Starts with knowing the wine type, style and price point

• Site selection and evaluation: pick the land, don’t let it pick you

• Terroir components: achieving a vine with correct size and balance

• Only fully mature grapes can make fine wine

• In cold areas, ripen the wood as well for cold hardiness

• Vineyard design: vine density, spacing and yield per vine

• The power of great viticulture: the garagistes

• Strive for balance, harmony, uniformity, consistency

Vineyard Site Selection

The Most Important Decision You Will Make

45 mins

Wine Terroir

• Terroir: it’s everywhere! Even in your flower pot.

• But for vineyards, these matter the most . . .

• Components of soil: the chemical, physical, and biological

• Climate at 3 levels - macro, meso, micro

• Plant materials: species, variety, clone, rootstock

• Viticulture: what we add to the grapes

• Wine making: what the wine maker does to shape the wine

• How do you get fine wine terroir?

Why is this such a great vineyard?

Soil Features for Fine Wines

• Excess soil moisture and nitrogen are the enemies of fine wines!

• Our objective is to create a balanced vine according to site capacity

and vine size. For this we need . . .

• Well to excessively well-drained soils: TAW 2.5 to 4.5

• Rock content up to 50%

• Effective rooting zone of at least 18 inches

• Low to moderate fertility (especially nitrogen!)

• pH 5.5 to 6.5

• Organic matter 2-4 percent

• No physical or chemical impediments to root growth

• For production vineyards: everything a step or two above

From Vineyard Site Selection, Wolf and Boyer

Looking into the crystal ball…

…three important tools

Blairton (Arendtsville) Bedington

Berks-Bedington

Chester Manor Loam

Vineyard Soils of Pennsylvania

Soil Chemistry: now is the

time to analyze it and, if

necessary, fix it!

But get the right person

to interpret the numbers!

The Bad guys:

Pathogenic nematodes: now is the time to survey and treat them!

Vectors for:

• Tomato Ringspot Virus

• Fanleaf Virus

Climatic Challenges: you are not in control

• Continental climate: humid, wet, warm summers, very cold winters

above Mason-Dixon

• Freeze: LTE50, what is the threshold for injury? Varieties, seasons,

soils, etc.

• Spring and fall frosts (length of growing season)

• Summer afternoon thundershowers, hail storms, lightning, drought

• Harvest: hurricanes, low pressure systems

• The past decade:

– Fine: 2007, 2008, 2010

– Poor: 2003, 2004, 2009, 2011

• Impact: lack of uniformity and consistency in vineyard and products

Native and cold hardy hybrids

Hybrids and some vinifera

Vinifera

Natives, hybrids and vinifera

Hilling up in the fall . . .

. . . taking down in the spring >>

Annual rainfall from 1961 to 1990. Distribution is also important,

especially between mid-August and October!

What are Ideal Macro-Meso Climate Conditions?

• Enough winter rain to fully charge the soil with moisture

• Not so cold as to damage grapevine tissue (vinifera 0F)

• No late spring frost, enough sun and warmth to push vines through bloom

• Some drying after bloom through fruit set to set berry size with mild stress

• 1-2” of rain June-August, enough to sustain growth but not too much

• Dry and sunny conditions in September/October, < 2” of rain each month

• No early fall frost

• Steady descent from cool to cold conditions in November and December

• How often do all of these conditions occur? Never. Make adjustments.

Impact of Climate and Weather

• What’s the difference?

• Bud break and spring frost

• Warm and wet increases disease and insect pressure

• Wet exacerbates vegetative vigor which increases disease and hampers fruit

ripening

• Drought, hail, wind, etc.

• Acclimation, low and fluctuations in winter temperature affect vine survival

• Getting the fruit fully mature. Finding a cool site in a warm place or a warm

site in a cool region. Ripen fruit in cool conditions on the outer limit of its

ripening window.

Other Site Features

• Absolute (ripening) and relative (frost and freeze) elevations

• Local Topography

– Aspect (orientation)

– Slope

• Trees

– Black walnut and butternut

– Birds, insects, disease, shade

deer, wind

• Neighbors (non-agricultural)

– Cement, bricks, noise (yours, not theirs), etc.

– Schools and businesses

From Vineyard Site Selection, Wolf and Boyer

Fill the Knowledge Gap with the Right Experts!

• Soil mapping - Alex Blackburn

• Plant material specialist – James Stamp

• Viticulturist – Lucie Morton

• Vineyard development specialist – Nelson Stewart

• Consultants from France and California

• Harrisburg Area CC viticulture and enology program

On-line tools:

• PSU VineyardMap

• USDA web soil survey

• Cornell NY Site Evaluation System

Tony Wolf and John Boyer, Virginia Tech

http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/463/463-020/463-020.html

http://arcserver2.iagt.org/vll/

Vineyard Equipment, Tools and Supplies: 15 mins

To Prepare a Field

• Crawler and shank

• Tractor

• Moldboard plow

• Disc

• Cultivator

• Roller and drag

• Herbicide sprayer with boom

• Survey transit

• Marking flags

• Tape measure

• Marking line

• Vine place markers

or . . .

Planting

• Storage for vines

• Water trough

• Pruning shears

• 5 g buckets

• Planting shovels, post hole

digger

• Soil tamping tools

Basic Tools & Supplies for Trellis Installation

• Hammer

• Wrenches

• Screwdrivers

• Fence hammer

• Come-along (wire tensioner)

• Heavy duty wire cutter

• Crimp tool-fasteners(nicopress, gripple)

• Vise grips

• Stake pounder

• Level

• Portable hole auger with bits

• Wire jenny

Proper Clothing . . .

… for working in hot, wet, cold conditions and everything in

between.

• Heavy duty gloves and steel toed boots

• Eye and ear protection!

• Serious rain and cold weather clothing

• Personal protective equipment for safe use of pesticides

Specialty Tools and Supplies

• Tapeners for tying vines

• Ty tape

• Ag-tyes – know the difference!

• Twist ties for tying canes

• Pruning shears (manual, electric)

• Vine loppers and folding saws

• Sharpening tools for blades

• Hand held scale for pruning weights

• Hand hoes

• Backpack herbicide sprayer

• Varmint traps

• Harvesting equipment and supplies

• Birds scaring equipment

• Small power generator

• First aid supplies

• Fence wire, duct tape

Large Equipment Inventory for a Commercial Vineyard

THINGS YOU REALLY SHOULD HAVE:

• Tractor (2 or 4WD) or crawler

• Spray Cab w/ filter system

• Grape Hoe

• Post Pounder or

• 3-Point Auger

• Mower/Brush Chopper

• Herbicide Sprayer

• Fungicide/Insecticide Sprayer

• Vine Hedger

• Reliable Farm Pickup Truck

THINGS IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:

• ATV or Mule

• Leaf removing machine

• Cultivator/Seed Drill

• Soil Spader

• Flatbed Truck

• Grape Bin Trailers

• Bird Netting and/or Pyrotechnic Devices

OTHER IMPORTANT ITEMS:

• Reliable and Clean Water Source

• Nurse Tank for your sprayer

• Electricity

• Shop/Office

• Open or enclosed storage for large equipment

Applies to All Equipment, Material and Supplies

• Good vendor or supplier: availability, do they deliver, do they know

their product, reputation in the industry?

• Get recommendations and referrals from other growers

• Highest grade or quality of material

• Service: how to get it fixed… fast!

• Check your materials and equipment BEFORE you use or install them

• Do they pick up and/or deliver?

Tractors

•4WD, if needed

•PTO power

•Reliability

•Service

•Spray Safe Cab

•Width

•Implements

Air blast Sprayer

Pak Tank Herbicide Sprayer

Lipco Tunnel Sprayer

Braun Grape Hoe

Keep a neat and organized shop

http://www.gemplers.com/

Vineyard Design and Site Preparation: 30 mins

Vineyard Design This is why you did the thorough site evaluation

Vine Rows •Direction

•Length

•Slope

•Aspect

•Wind

Vine Density •Row Spacing

•Vine Spacing

Block Size and Shape •Variety, clone and rootstock

•Topography

•Frost pockets

•Trees, neighbors, etc. Headlands and Working Space

Trellis and training systems

Vine Size, Balance and Density

• Soil capacity

• Vine size

• Vine balance: veg vs. crop

• Quality/yield relationship

– Amount of fruit per vine

• Trellis system choice

• Training system

• Row direction and length

• Exceptions to the rule: THV West block

• High density: < 20 sq ft/vine

• Low density: > 80 sq ft/vine

• Medium density somewhere in between

• 8’x4’ to 10’x5’ is normal for this region

Too Narrow

Optimum

Too Wide

From: Intrieri and Filipetti American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, 50th Anniversary

A great schematic of

a balanced

vine.

It’s very

visual.

Row Spacing: Quantity • 1:1 Height to Width

• Equipment

• Trellis Type

Vine Spacing: Quality • Vine Balance

• Yield per vine

• Vine vigor considerations

• Costs

Canopy Dimensions and Wires: some key metrics

• Leaf area index 1.5-2.0 sq meter per kilogram of fruit

• 1-1.5 leaf layers

• 3-5 shoots per foot of trellis

• < 0.4 lb of pruning weight per foot of trellis

• 15-20 leaves per shoot to ripen 2 clusters

• Row width to canopy height – 1:0.8

• VSP: 6 ft+ total, 4’ of canopy

• Scott Henry/Smart-Dyson: 7 ft+

• Fruit wire: 24” - 36”. 2-3 pair of catch wires

Vine Density Effects on Development Costs

43,560 sq ft/ac @ $5/grafted vine

• 12x8 (454) – $ 2270

• 10x5 (871) – 4355

• 9x4 (1210) – 6050

• 8x4 (1361) – 6805

• 7x3.5 (1936) – 9680

• 6x3 (2420) – 12,100

• 3x3 (4840) – 24,200

Assumptions: Start with a one-acre cleared field. Spacing is 8x5 requiring 1089 plants per acre.

Dimensions of field are 210 ft x 210 ft. 27 rows.

1. 54 x 10’ Rib-Bak End Post 1350

2. 297 x 10g notched galvanized steel line stakes 2970

3. 36,000 feet x 12 gauge hi-tensile trellis wire 750

4. 54 x 36 inch earth anchors 330

6. Wire Vise 150

7. 81 x wire strainers plus handle 160

8. Crimp sleeves and tool 80

9. 1100 pencil training stakes 550

10. Gripple wire fasteners 60

11. Vine ties 200

12. 1100 x grow tubes or milk cartons 550

13. 1089 x grafted vinifera grapevines (prep and shipping) 5445

14. Labor at $15.00 per hour x 120 hours (planting, trellis, training, etc) 1800

15. Laser Planting ($45/row + $.60/vine + $1800 truck fee) 3800

16. Irrigation (not including well or pond) 2500

17. Site Preparation (no forest, soil amendments, weed control, etc.) 1000

18. Deer Fence (8’ mesh exclusion, wood posts) 4000

19. Drain Tile (soil assessment will determine if it is needed) 2500

TOTAL DAMAGES: $ 28,250 (round up to $35K)

The Cost to Plant One-Acre of Vinifera Grapevines in Southeast Pennsylvania

Prices courtesy of Spec Trellising, Ivyland, PA

Development Cost Calculator from

Washington State University

http://www.nwgrapecalculators.org/

Commercial Training and Trellis Systems

• Vertical single canopy systems

– Vertical Shoot Position

– High wire cane or cordon

• Vertically divided canopy systems

– Scott Henry

– Smart-Dyson

• Horizontally divided canopy systems

– Lyre

– Geneva Double Curtain

Row Orientation: which way?

•Slope

•Aspect

•Wind

•Safety

•Aesthetics

Row Length •Maximum Length

•Equipment Needs

•Human Needs

Headlands and

working space

Leave enough room for him to turn around

and to unload

A schedule to follow for planting in spring, 2015

• Summer 2013: site evaluation (soil, climate data). Write a business plan. Viticulture education. Consultants.

• In fall of 2013, order vines (variety, clone, rootstock)

• Winter 2014: vineyard design

• In spring and summer 2014: Clear field and begin weed control on site. Bioremediation for nematodes. Deer fence and roads installed, storage shed, well and other permanent structures. Check vine orders.

• Fall, 2014: continue weed control, start soil preparation, rip and disc, add soil amendments, plant annual cover crop or cover with straw, install drip irrigation and tile drainage

• Winter, 2015: Control gophers and other vertebrates. Check vine orders. Reserve laser planter. Order trellis materials. Get ready for spring push.

• Early spring 2015: final herbicide application for control of perennial weeds. Disc and harrow field to smooth planting surface, check with nursery on vine delivery date. Layout fields.

• Mid-spring 2015: Receive and store plants properly. Plant when soil conditions are right in April or May. Build trellis, hang drip hose, begin vine training. Grow tubes? Disease and pest controls

Site Preparation: This is the only time you

will have an open field to work with

• Do as much as you can before the vines are in the ground

• Find out all the past history of the area to be planted

• See and understand what your neighbors are doing. Orchards? Vineyards?

• If the field was planted in orchard or vineyard, lay fallow for 1-4 years

• Decide what and how much cultivation to do. Have a good reason for every treatment.

• Make sure conditions are right for working the ground. Avoid compaction.

• Remove everything that is not wanted now – weeds, rocks, etc.

• Prepare the surface for marking lines and flags

• If laser planting, special preparation requirements, ask them and follow instructions to the letter or pay in quality and cost.

• Caution: neighbors are watching and wondering. Deal with them honestly and openly. Have a plan. Have a party. Inform and educate.

• Do not hurry. Do it right the first time! The land will still be there tomorrow.

PREPARING THE FIELD

Now is your best chance!

•Vine, trees and brush

•Rocks

•Old fencing

•Old cars and refrigerators

•Vineyard perimeter

•Burning fields

To avoid this: control weeds before you plant vines

DRAINAGE AND TILING

Excess water is the greatest enemy of fine wines

• advantages and drawbacks

•NRCS and soil consultants

Irrigation

•Benefits: young vine development and drought years

•Water source?

•Water rights?

•Power: 3 phase?

•Cost for drip system

•Problems

An essential feature for most vineyards

•Deer

•Wabbits

•People

10 Feet

SOIL CONDITIONING

•Subsoiling/Ripping

•Vine row, wing ripping

•Plowing

•Discing

•Cultivating

•Springtooth harrowing

•Dragging

Soil Preparation

• Rip if necessary

• Always ask “why am I doing this? Do I need to do this?”

• Rip 2 ways or on the vine row with a winged plow (Rutger photo). Uniform depth and effect.

• Top dress with compost to repair pulverized soil structure, incorporate

AMENDMENTS

•Lime

•Gypsum

•Fertilizers

•Compost

Cover Crops: benefits

and dangers • Before planting

• After planting

• Mature vineyard

New Vineyard

Mature Vineyard

Prepare and mark the field

Design and layout

• Contours, slope, flat land features

• Rocks, ponds, woods, swales

• Block size and shape

• Varieties and rootstocks: where for best suitability and effect. Soils and local climate effects

• Layout

– Surveyor and transit

– Clean field, dirt clods/wire

– Marking flags, popscicle sticks, fence wire, nicos, orange paint, measuring sticks, tape measures, squares

– Stakes, hammers

• Stakes: line 16-24’ apart, 2-2.5 deep; end 3’min in, 20 degrees, submains inside of stake, anchors straight in

Marking the field

Layout and Marking the Field: one and only chance

•Hire a professional surveyor for initial marks

•Transit, distance wheel and marking flags

•Marking lines

•Popsicle sticks, straws

•A good eye

• Over hill and dale

•The benefits of straight

rows… equipment,

aesthetic, etc.

Other Preparation Methods

• Planting Through Sod

• Planting into Clean Strips

Plant Materials and Planting: 30 mins

Nurseries and Vines •# of vines to order: replants

•Nurseries: NY vs. CA WA

•Trunk and plant disease and viruses

•Certified materials

•When to order: spring vs. fall

•Payment: down and payments

•What to order

•Species and varieties

•Clones

•Rootstocks

•Potted vs. bare root

•Dormant vs. green grafted

•Quality of materials and methods

•Inspect before planting

•Problems with new vines

•Delivery dates and methods

•Storing plants

Clones and Rootstocks

• Vinifera clones matter a lot to many wine makers

• They can improve quality, or not

• Rootstock selection is among the most critical decision you

will make, including for some hybrid varieties

• Match rootstocks to wine goals and soils

• Understand that new clonal and rootstocks plant materials

have particular issues

• Never let a nurseryman decide what you plant: it’s your

vineyard!

• Educate yourself and get good advice!

Grading and testing vines

Root pruning for machine

Planting •When to plant

•Soil condition

•Inspect vines

•Preparing vines

•Root pruning

•How to plant

•The Hole

•Vine depth

•Auger vs. shovel

•Planting machines

•Water

•Fertilizer

•Mulch

The Way to Straight Rows

Laser Planting means straight and evenly spaced rows

Trellis Installation: 30 mins

The Trellis System

Materials

•Training Stakes

•Trellis Wire

•Wire Holders

•Fruit Wires

•Catch wires

•End Posts

•Earth Anchors

•Line Posts

•Cross Arms

•Wire Tensioners

•Wire Splicers

•Staples

Installation Equipment

•Post Pounder vs. Auger

•Safety Equipment

•Shear Pins

•Soil Tampers

•Shovels

•Spinning Jenny

•Wire Splicing Tools

•Come-Along

•Hand Tools

•Drill and Generator

•Measuring tape and stick

Trellis Construction

• Make it Last: Use only highest quality materials available for durability. Correct installation is essential for longevity

• Wire - Galvanized, high tensile, coated, 12g fruit, 14g catch, fasteners.

• Posts – Line and End: steel vs wood? Diameter/gauge. Galvanized. Rolled or T. Notch positions – will it do SH? Planting depth, tall enough to divide, End Assemblies – strong but don’t over do it.

• Miscellaneous – training stakes, strainers, fasteners

• Right Equipment for Installation: driving posts and stakes, turning anchors, running and splicing wire.

• Install before or after plants? Irrigation? Drain tile? Laser?

• Wire Positions: fruit 24-30”, catch wires – fixed and movable, 2 or 3 pairs of catch wire, what type of post/stake holder? Irrigation wire at 12”

Install Trellis

• Steel line and end stakes: cost, gauge, notch type and

position, length (above and below ground for VSP/SH)

• Install: drive in, do not auger or use a vibrator

• Wire: high tensile, 200K test, safety glasses and gloves,

double nicopress, wire strainers, training stake and clip

• Use a spinning jenny, wire end in ground to hold it

• Nicopress or gripple properly and securely

• Use tensioners, don’t skimp

How to Install Correctly

• Drive posts, do not plant them

• Line posts: 2-3’ deep, 7’ above (divided). 15-20 feet between posts. All must be same height – hedger, harvester.

• End posts: steel w/ spade or min 5-8”, 4’ deep

• Wire: use a spinning jenny to apply, splice correctly, leave enough length at ends to work with

• Tie offs: double wrap with staple or wire vise on steel

• Anchors – screw in straight down with bobcat auger or steel bar or bury, always to eye depth

• Anchor wires: white pvc tubes for visibility

• Strainers – only necessary on fruit wire carrying loads

Standard Vertical Shoot Positioning

End Assemblies – nothing fancy

but very strong.

New Vineyard Development

Black Ankle Vineyard, MD

Sustainable and Organic Wine Growing in the East

• Arid vs. humid region wine growing

• Lack of knowledge and experience in organic viticulture. No firm extension recommendations on practices.

• Dogma/philosophy vs. viticultural reality

• Use sustainable viticultural practices

• The challenges – disease (black rot in particular), insects, weeds, etc.

• Take the slow approach. With each step there is greater risk

• Learn conventional, then adopt sustainable, test organic/biodynamic

• Natives and hybrids are more disease resistant

• Start on a small scale. A blended approach seems to work the best.

• Only best grower and best practices need apply

• Learn from others – Europe, California, Australia

• Eyes on the prize – fine wine!

Good choices at Black Ankle Vineyard in Maryland:

•Heavy gauge steel end posts and stakes

•Straight rows (laser planted)

•Coated, heavy gauge trellis wire

•Rolled steel training stakes

•Milk cartons for herbicide and rabbit protection

•Weed control

•Cover crop

•Good site – see rocks

•Dog (deer control)

•Vineyard manager

•Smart owners with lots of money

Information Resources

• Local and regional extension and research (hint: UMD, Cornell University and Virginia Tech)

• Private consultants

• Your state wine and grower associations

• Books, magazines, journals and internet sites

• Other growers: go out and look at vineyards and learn, near and far

• Wineries: your customers

Some Advice

• If you want to plant 10 acres, start with five

• Once you figure out your development costs, double them

• Do NOT take shortcuts or skimp on quality – labor, materials or practices - it will always cost you more in the end, in both time and money

• Make sure you have the time, money and passion for a long term project

• Fill the knowledge gap: read and learn as much as you can through books and meetings, use consultants, etc.

• Visit high quality vineyards, observe and understand, ask smart questions and, if possible, work

• Not essential, but very helpful, taste benchmark wines of the type you are growing/making

• Strive for QUALITY in the vineyard

Go to:

http://pawinegrape.com

to find all of the

presentations

in this workshop, and

much more!

Sign up for the Penn State

Viticulture e-newsletter on

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Ripe Cabernet Sauvignon

on 35 year old vines at

Allegro Vineyards in York

County, Pennsylvania.

Destined to be Great Wine