Introduction


You are here Making better red wine Micro oxygenation questions frequently asked by winemakers
Challenges from the vineyard



 Sometimes the shortcomings of a wine originate from certain practises in the vineyard or in vineyard management. In the winery, these problems require time and expense to correct.
  To minimize potential problems before grapes arrive at the winery, it is imperative to have good communication between the winemaking team and the vineyard personnel.
  Many problems created in the vineyard can be reduced by practicing:

1. Proper vineyard siting: matching the varietal to the micro-climate in order to minimize the amount of immature harvests.
2. Appropriate canopy and vine management (proper trellising, irrigation and fertilization).
3. Adequate, but not excessive, disease control practises.

  Canopy management is important in controlling vegetal character. Too much shading can lead to the fruit retaining concentrations which are too high in isobutyl-methoxy pyrazine (bell pepper) and related compounds, as well as other types of green compounds such as cis-3-hexenol.
  Overdoing disease control or late application of dusting or wettable sulfur can lead to the overproduction of hydrogen sulfide in the fermentation. There is a direct correlation between the µg of elemental sulfur carried on berries into the winery and the production of H2S. While a winemaker can control H2S to a degree, overproduction of H2S can lead to the development of mercaptans, which are often difficult to eliminate.
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