1) The document discusses grape growing regions in California and Spain based on degree-day heat summations, with five regions in California ranging from cool to warm. 2) It also covers several warm climate grape varieties like Tempranillo, Grenache, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon that do well in hot, dry conditions and their characteristics. 3) Traditional winemaking techniques are discussed for Sherry and Port production using solera systems in Spain and Portugal.

1. California California grape-growing Winegrape Ripening Sequence, CA
Regions based on GDD-50F
Viticultural (Amerine and Winkler, 1944)
Regions
Two-fold range of
degree-day heat
summation during
the growing season
across the state.
Major differences
in grape varieties
and wine quality
among five regions
Los Carneros: South Napa/Sonoma
St. Helena:
Upper Napa
Valley:
Decreased
vine size
on slope
Aspect Influences Heat
(South & West exposure in N’ Hemisphere)
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2. Climate Region x Cultivar Jackson & Lombard (1993)
Combinations (From: Reynolds, 1996) Alpha/Beta Viticultural Regions
Cool Warm
Tempranillo
Mourvedre
Nebbiolo
Barbera
Sangiovese
Syrah
Palomino
Pedro Ximenez
Touriga Nacional
“Warm Climate” Grapes & Wines
• High heat unit (GDD) regions (3500-4500)
Cabernet Sauvignon
• Long growing seasons (180-220 days) • Does well in both cool and warm regions
• Mid-winter low temps usually not extreme • Flavor and aromatic qualities of wine differ
• Soils in these climate regions usually lack across climate zones.
organic matter, droughty, low fertility • Late ripening advantage in warm areas
• Vines often head trained, spur pruned, • Black currant, cedar, tannic in warm regions
widely spaced, “sprawling”
• Bell pepper aromas in cooler regions
• Yields per ha relatively low w/out irrigation
• Grapes often ripen high sugar, but low acid
Cabernet Sauvignon Roman Viticultural Regions
Purple areas are historical Roman viticultural regions,brown
areas above 700 m a.s.l. (From Johnson & Robinson, 2001)
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3. Viticultural regions of Spain Climate and Wine Zones: Spain
• Jerez de la
Frontera in
the S’west
• Upper
Douro valley
in West (From Johnson & Robinson, 2001)
• Rioja and • Most of vineyards in drier regions
Navarra in • Summers often too hot for grapevines,
northeast actually delaying ripening
• Rias Baixas • Little water available for irrigation
Sierra Nevadas near Granada
Spanish Wines and Grapes
• Native grape varieties adapted to hot climates,
low-fertility soils, very low (1/6) vine densities
• “Isolated” until 1970s, making wines with
traditional varieties and methods (tinajas)
• High latitude (Madrid ~ Ithaca), high elevation
plateau (meseta), long hot, dry growing season
• Main varieties: Tempranillo, Touriga Nacional,
Garnacha, Mourvedre, and a few white grapes
like Palomino, Airen (brandy) and Verdejo in
Galicia (Rías Baixas)
Olives & Grapes: Olives, Grapes
Marriage of Tree and Vine
and Cork Oaks
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4. Tempranillo (Tinto fino, Tinto del pais,
Traditional Aragonez) on albariza soil, Rioja Spain
Winemaking
Tempranillo Grenache Noir
• Notes of tobacco, leather, (Garnacha, Cannonao, Alicante)
cloves, spice • Workhorse variety—blended
• Intensely purple small with Tempranillo in classic
berries (tinto = ink) wines of Rioja & Navarra
• Early budbreak and • Does best in older vines, hot,
ripening (hence its name)
dry, windy regions; quality
• Juice is low in TA, with declines with irrigation
high malic fraction
• In fortified wines or rosés,
• Needs blending with
another grape like low color & tannins on its
Garnacha or Cabernet own. Simple, fruity wines.
Sauvignon to produce • Common in California
high-quality wines Languedoc blends, also used
in Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Weathered red clay soils: Estremadura
Navarra Garnacha Vineyard
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5. New Vineyard in Navarra Upper Rio Ebro (left) and Rioja Vineyards: Spain
Head Trained Spur Pruned Vine Head Trained Cane Pruned
Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa
La Frontera: Moorish Spain
Jerez de la Frontera: Solera Sherry
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6. ‘Palomino Fino’ Viña near Jerez Solera System: Sherries
Transfers Portugal: Douro Valley Region
from
Criaderas
(Jackson, 2000)
• Oldest DOC in Europe
• Unique varieties (Touriga Nacional)
• World’s steepest vineyards?
Upper Douro Vineyards: Portugal
Douro Terraced Vineyards
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7. Hillside Vineyard Equipment Other Major Warm Region Grapes
• Barbera: Italy, California, Argentina
• Nebbiolo: unique to northern Italy
• Carignan: Spain (Aragon), southern France,
California. Most productive grape?
• Sangiovese: Italy (Chianti), California
• Mourvedre: Spain, southern France
• Zinfandel: California, southern Italy (as
Primitivo)
• Syrah/Shiraz: France, Australia, California
Barbera
Nebbiolo
• Signature variety of Piemonte
• Mostly grown in
(NW Italy) northwest Italy
• California and Argentina • Notes of tar, roses,
• Blended for its acidity, deep violets, citrus…
color, low tannins • High in tannins, acid
• “Fruity” aromas and pigments
• High yields, ease of • Wines of great
longevity
mechanical harvest
• Varietal character
• Adapts well to various soil elusive outside of
types in hot regions Piedmont (Alba)
• May need fog?
Carignan(e) Sangiovese
(Catalan, Mazuelo) (Brunello)
• May be the most • Main variety in Chianti
productive vine Classico, Tuscan Italy
worldwide • Clonal variability makes
• Mostly grown in wine quality extremely
south France, Spain, variable (Grosso & Piccolo)
California, Chile • Low pigment content, ease
• Very susceptible to of oxidation, fading wines
mildew and other • Blends well with Cabernet
diseases in humid Sauvignon
regions • Traditional blends with
• Main virtue is high Trebbiano (a white grape)
yields (12 tons/acre), • Low yields but good
and good color disease resistance
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8. Zinfandel Mourvèdre
(Monastrell,
(Primitivo) Mataro)
• California’s “native”
grape variety • Main variety in Bandol
wines of Provence
• From Slovenia via Italy
(as Primitivo) • Needs warm climate for
• Widely planted in quality (California,
Northern California Australia, Valencia)
• Very productive vine • Notes of blackberry,
• Robust wines, berry notes, “animal,” acidic and
rich tannins, high alcohol, astringent juice
spicy (wasted in blush) • Has substantial body,
• Uneven bunch ripening blending well with Syrah
• In warmer regions, needs and Grenache
low vigor sites to produce
high quality wines
Syrah (Shiraz)
• From upper Rhone Valley in
France
• Blended in Hermitage and
Cote Rôtie wines
• Notes of black pepper,
chocolate, cloves,
cinnamon; rich tannins
• Major variety in Australia,
increasing in California too
• Produces very different but
equally interesting wines in
both cool and warm regions
• Not synonymous with Petite
Sirah in California
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