Why tracking sugar loading is important? Sugar accumulation rate (as you can see in Figure 1) indicates how the plant is faring during ripening. It is directly related to plant photosynthetic activity, the balance between leaf area and amount of fruit and the vine physiological condition. As such, tracking and assessing […]
Recently Fruition Sciences has received questions from prospective customers on using funding from the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) to finance their irrigation system upgrades, including the purchase of Sap Flow sensors. We understand that using plant-based sensors as irrigation trigger can be a major investment for many […]
During maceration, red wine develops its phenolic and aromatic profile. The outcome of maceration depends on multiple factors including fruit composition, chemical processes and winemaking techniques. How do common winemaking techniques affect the chemical and sensory properties of wine? Federico Casassa presented on this topic at our 2016 Vintage Report […]
Pruning is a critical activity for vineyards to achieve vine balance as winter approaches. Alessandro Zanutta from Simonit&Sirch made an excellent presentation at our 2015 Napa Vintage Report conference about a new pruning technique. He raised an excellent point about the impact of pruning on sap flow activity. Pitfalls […]
In a previous entry, we discussed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and how it affects vineyard owners and grape growers. As we approach the June 30, 2017 deadline for high and medium priority basins to establish their groundwater sustainability agencies (GSA), how are different wine regions getting ready for SGMA […]
In most winegrowing countries, organic viticulture is gaining more and more importance. However, in most non-European countries organic viticulture is still in the initial stages. Organic cropping systems are considered more sustainable than conventional cropping systems from an environmental standpoint. Reganold and his colleagues have reported that organically farmed […]
What’s your idea of the vineyard of the future? As we discussed in a previous entry, vineyard owners are increasingly opting for mechanized solutions to harvesting, irrigation and other farming tasks. With latest available technologies, vineyard owners enjoy better farm productivity, improved product quality and consistency and higher sales and […]
Carbohydrate reserves play a critical role in the grapevine growth cycle by providing a carbon source to support root and shoot growth after bud break. Research results suggest that the amount of reserves stored over winter can influence reproductive development and shoot growth for the next season. In this article, […]
Labor shortages have emerged as one of the top challenges facing the wine industry, according to a recent survey by UC Davis. In this entry, Fruition Sciences reviews some macro and regional workforce trends we’ve seen in the news. In the current tight labor market, vineyard owners need to manage […]
Rotundone is a fruit compound responsible for the peppery aroma in wines. Because of its low sensory detection threshold (16 ng/L in red wine and 8 ng/L in water), rotundone produces a strong aroma effect in wines like Syrah, Mourvèdre, Durif (ie. Petite syrah) and Duras. Recently, researchers have demonstrated […]
