Comments on: Does latitude matter?

By: winesooth.com » Blog Archive » Data and information

winesooth.com » Blog Archive » Data and information — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:32:09 +0000

[...] too long ago, I asked if latitude matters in growing grapevines. Temperatures are one thing, but photoperiod may be very influential in the [...]

By: Nathan R. Carlson

Nathan R. Carlson — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:27:07 +0000

I just came across this - my thought is that most everything in nature is very sensitive to photoperiod. It can influence growth and hormonal triggers in many animals - telling them when to breed, ovulate, lay eggs, fly south, etc… Plants, which rely on the sun for their metabolism are even more tuned in to length of day & intensity of light.

I can’t speak to exhaustive knowledge of the mechanisms, but I have made wine from Pinot Noir in Oregon, Carneros, and the Central Coast, (as well as having visited many of the other main growing regions for this variety throughout the world,) and can tell you that the vines look and behave completely differently depending on location. There are other differences in play in these environments, for sure, but I suspect that photo-period has a great amount of impact.

For instance, Pinot in Oregon will start to show lignification of the canes and rachis shortly after veraison, while in the Edna Valley and Santa Barbara County, it may take until harvest to see the same degree of browning of these structures. Seed ripening is also affected to some degree. And the order in which varieties become ripe on the same site can be completely reversed depending on location.

By: Dylan

Dylan — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:50:17 +0000

Latitude certainly plays a part, I just wouldn’t overemphasize its role in successful wine making. Being on the same-parallel as the top Bordeaux in France doesn’t account for the climate or soil you might experience at a separate longitude. Hence why the spot where the 44th meets the Atlantic Ocean hasn’t been opted as a place for growers just yet.

By: Is There Any Remedy for Anxiety? | Panic Attacks Blitz

Is There Any Remedy for Anxiety? | Panic Attacks Blitz — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:57:20 +0000

[...] winesooth.com » Blog Archive » Does latitude matter? [...]

By: Thomas Pellechia

Thomas Pellechia — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:01:01 +0000

If by “foremost” you mean empirically ranked by reputation, then I agree with use of that word to describe the Pacific Coast wine industry in the US.

On the questions you ask in your last paragraph, I’d answer to all of them: probably.

By: Ron McFarland

Ron McFarland — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:47:40 +0000

I think you are right that latitude does influence the outcome of some grapes. Crawford Brown at Bannock Brae Estate in Central Otago talks about how the latitude, daylight and earth tilt influence grape growing in Central Otago.

The video is insightful. http://www.blip.tv/file/831005/