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Virginia Cooperative Extension -
 Knowledge for the CommonWealth

Viticulture Notes

Vineyard and Winery Information Series:
Vol. 21 No. 6, November-December 2006

Dr. Tony K. Wolf, Viticulture Extension Specialist, AHS Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center
Winchester, Virginia
vitis@vt.edu

Table of Contents

  1. Departures
  2. Molybdenum survey in Virginia vineyards
  3. Upcoming meetings
  4. VA Vineyards Association annual technical meeting agenda

I. Departures

Our Viticulture Research/Extension Associate, Fritz Westover, will be pulling stakes and moving to Texas early next month. His wife, Sabrina, has recently completed her PhD studies and has accepted a position in Houston. Fritz will continue his viticulture extension role with Texas A&M University, and will have responsibilities in the Gulf region of Texas.  We will dearly miss Fritz’s friendship, appreciation of wine, and his professional contributions to our viticulture program. He is working to finish up some Macromedia Breeze presentations on dormant vine pruning, several of which can now be viewed/played from his website:  http://faculty.vaes.vt.edu/westover.  Fritz has been the ‘”Front office” person here at the AREC for handling many of the requests that come in for viticultural information. Since his hire in January 2005, he has been a regular contributor to Viticulture Notes, a speaker at vineyard meetings, a co-presenter at our basic grape production shortcourses, worked closely with many of our Cooperative Extension agents in on-site visits, and has been actively involved in our research projects. The viticulture research/extension associate position was approved for re-filling and we are now actively seeking a pool of qualified applicants for the position.  If any VN readers are interested, please view the position description online at http://www.jobs.vt.edu (posting # 061204).

I must also regretfully pass on the news that Ashley Myers, who came on board in January 2006 as our grape pathologist, has decided to resign to return to her family in North Carolina. Ms. Myers will be leaving in mid-January. We hope to refill the pathology position as soon as possible, but must await administrative approval to re-advertise the position.

We wish both Fritz and Ashley well in their respective endeavors.

II. A preliminary investigation of molybdenum in grape petioles and its involvement with poor fruit set in Virginia vineyards.

Fritz Westover, Viticulture Research Extension Associate, Virginia Tech

The 2006 season offered its score of challenges to grape ripening, especially for red varieties in many areas of the state where late season rains persisted.  In general, the growers I have interacted with this year have been most concerned with seasonal conditions after veraison and leading into harvest, such as rain, diseases, or fruit chemistry imbalances.  Yet another influx of inquiries occurred much earlier in the season, regarding poor fruit set in many red vinifera varieties; most notably in Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, and in some cases, with the white hybrid Traminette. 

Poor fruit set may affect not only yields, but also the uniformity of ripening in grape clusters if variability is introduced.  Millerandage or “Hens and Chicks” is a condition recognized as small, “shot” berries borne on the same cluster with normal-sized berries as well as unfertilized swollen green ovaries (3).  Many factors can affect fruit set in the vineyard, including cool, wet, or windy conditions during bloom, crop load, water, heat and other stresses from the previous season, and nutritional deficiencies.  A survey of those factors was initiated during the 2006 season to determine the potential causes or commonalities of poor fruit set in Virginia on a case-by-case basis.  Our inquiries with growers indicated that some of the poor fruit set may have occurred due to hot, dry weather during bloom, while others may have been the result of limited carbohydrate reserves in vines  resulting, perhaps, from a dry 2005 season followed by dry conditions in spring of 2006.  Still, other vineyards did not report excessive temperatures or rain during bloom, nor did plant tissue analysis (petioles) at bloom show deficiencies in boron or zinc, both of which are known to affect fruit set and occurrence of millerandage.  Our research group was made aware of investigations of the role of molybdenum (Mo) on fruit set in Australian studies during a visit by Dr. Peter Dry of the University of Adelaide in spring of 2006.  Although this problem (referred to in Australia as the “Merlot problem”) is most prevalent on own-rooted Merlot vines, we decided this was a good opportunity to investigate the levels of Mo in Virginia vineyards.  This article discusses some of the factors that affect Mo uptake by grapevines and summarizes the results of our preliminary survey of Mo content in grape petioles.

Why is Mo important?  Molybdenum is a trace element found in soils and is necessary for the growth and development of plants.  In grapevines, Mo has been associated with the development of functional seeds and is thus considered to be important for pollination and/or fertilization (4).  Several factors can influence Mo uptake by grapevines.  Availability in soil is dependent upon soil pH.  The molybdate anion (MoO42-) is more available in alkaline soil and uptake is greatly reduced at pH 5.5 or lower, with maximum adsorption onto positive charged metal oxides occurring at pH 4.0 to 5.0 (1).  Molybdate is generally more available in soils with higher organic matter and can be leached in sandy, low organic matter soils.  Mo uptake is also affected by iron and aluminum oxides in soil and by competition from sulfate (SO42-) anions.  Other data shows that Mo is involved in phosphorus (P) transport in roots. Low P transport into roots may facilitate molybdate accumulation in roots, suggesting that low soil P may inhibit Mo uptake into foliage (1).  Additionally, Mo deficiencies in Australia were predominantly found in own-rooted vines.  Those planted on American rootstocks Schwarzman (Vitis riparia x V. rupestris) and 140 Ruggeri (V. rupestris x V. berlandieri) were not as greatly affected, implying a genotypic difference in uptake efficiency.  Other factors that will reduce nutrient uptake into roots, such as wet or cool soil conditions, may also reduce uptake of Mo.  A good example of this is the yellowing of young shoots during cool, overcast spring weather, associated with low uptake of nitrogen and potassium.

In Virginia soils, organic matter is not typically limiting, however, low pH, and additions of sulfate via gypsum or Epsom salt would theoretically predispose vines to reduced Mo uptake.  The likelihood of inducing Mo deficiency by of all of those factors would be more the exception than the norm in a well-managed vineyard and the use of American rootstocks further limits concerns for Mo deficiency in our region.  Nonetheless, all factors must be considered when poor fruit set occurs without explanation. 

Methods
The survey included a total of 14 Virginia vineyards, comprising varieties of various age, rootstock, and soil conditions.  Varieties were chosen to represent those most affected by poor fruit set in 2006 including Merlot (M), Cabernet Sauvignon (CS), Cabernet Franc (CF), Petit Verdot (PV), Carmenere (CM), and Traminette (TM).  Controls were included from vineyards not having fruit set problems.  Boron (B) and zinc (Zn) were also analyzed to determine if other micronutrient deficiencies were involved in poor fruit set.  Samples were collected between 30 May and 28 July of 2006.  A modified version of the Mo analysis by Williams et al. (4) was performed by two independent laboratories to detect Mo levels in 36 grape petiole samples.

Results
Levels of Mo ranged from 0.10 to 1.50 ppm from Lab A and 0.10 to 0.48 ppm from Lab B (Table 1).  The two laboratory results were similar for 7 of the 13 samples (<0.14 ppm difference) and differences ranged from 0.18 to 1.24 ppm in the other 6 samples.  According to standards for Mo in grape established by work in Australia and using the upper level of £0.14 ppm as the deficiency range, only 1 of the 13 samples tested by both labs was considered deficient: CS from Fauquier Co.  Lab B’s results suggested that 3 additional samples were deficient in Mo: M from Pittsylvania Co., CM from Fauquier Co., and own rooted TM from Frederick Co.  All of the above samples, except for TM, were from vines that showed symptoms of poor fruit set.  Samples containing Mo within the range of 0.14 to £ 0.20 ppm included CF from Albemarle Co. (Labs A & B), CF from Rappahannock Co. which both had symptoms of poor fruit set, and CF Frederick Co. and TM on rootstock C-3309, Frederick Co. (Lab B only), which did not show poor fruit set.  The mean Mo levels were 0.45 (n = 36) and 0.22 ppm (n = 13) for labs A and B respectively.  Boron fell within or above adequate ranges (27 to 54 ppm: recommended is 25 to 30 ppm) in all of the sites tested, as did zinc (36 to 192 ppm: recommended is 30 to 50 ppm).  

Table 1. Sample data showing site location, grape variety, rootstock, age and nutrient content of petioles for fruit set disorder survey in Virginia, 2006
ID County
Date   
Variety
Rootstock
 Vine  Age
Poor Fruit Set
Lab/Nutrient (ppm)
A/Mo
B/Mo
A/B
A/Zn
1 Frederick
26-Jul
TM*
3309-C
no
0.20
0.18
36
53
2  
26-Jul
TM
own
no
0.80
0.10
27
56
3  
26-Jul
CF
no
1.00
0.18
28
67
4  
26-Jul
CF
no
0.70
29
63
5 Rappahannock
28-Jul
CF
yes
0.60
40
94
6  
28-Jul
CF
3
yes
0.50
0.19
35
67
7 Mecklenburg
30-May
PV
0.30
51
62
8  
30-May
CF
0.30
54
81
9  
30-May
M
0.30
0.35
47
96
10 Westmoreland
5-Jun
M
0.40
0.48
41
101
11  
5-Jun
CF
0.30
42
95
12  
5-Jun
CS
0.30
41
80
13 Amherst
8-Jun
CS
0.40
35
36
14 Loudoun
22-Jun
CF
0.40
46
81
15  
22-Jun
PV
0.40
43
67
16  
22-Jun
M
0.30
40
82
17  
22-Jun
?
0.30
47
68
18 Pittsylvania
26-Jul
M
yes
0.40
0.14
19  
26-Jul
CF
yes
0.50
0.37
20  
26-Jul
CS
yes
0.50
21  
26-Jul
VN
no
0.40
22  
26-Jul
CH
no
0.50
23 Albemarle
7-Jul
CF
4
yes
0.20
0.18
36
79
24  
7-Jul
CF
8
1.50
0.26
39
73
25 Nelson
13-Jul
PV
yes
0.90
50
52
26  
13-Jul
TM
yes
0.50
30
53
27 James City
10-Jul
TM
yes
0.30
28 Campbell
28-Jul
TM
yes
0.30
0.23
51
105
29  
28-Jul
CF
yes
0.50
34
192
30 Washington
28-Jul
CF
yes
0.30
31  
28-Jul
TM
0.40
32  
28-Jul
TM
0.30
33 Fauquier
22-Jun
CS
21
yes
0.10
0.13
37
39
34  
28-Jul
CM
1
yes
0.30
0.12
30
63
35 Fauquier
CF
yes
0.40
36  
CF
yes
0.30
   
 
 
 
 
Mean 
0.45
0.22
40
76
   
 
 
 
 
Median 
0.40
0.18
40
68
   
 
 
 
 
Max
1.50
0.48
54
192
   
 
 
 
 
Min
0.10
0.10
27
36
*Grape Variety Key: CF = Cabernet Franc, CH = Chardonnay, CM = Carmenere, CS = Cabernet Sauvignon, M = Merlot, PV = Petit Verdot, TM = Traminette, VN = Viognier,  

Discussion
Other than nickel, the requirement for Mo is lower than any other essential plant nutrient (2).  Recent research with Merlot in Australia proposed that vines are deficient in Mo when levels are <0.09 ppm at bloom and <0.14 ppm at veraison, having no significant yield effects when foliar Mo was applied to vines containing >0.14 ppm Mo (4).  The challenge with determining crucial levels of Mo lies in the difficulty of accurately detecting such low levels.  To add to the complexity, the typical laboratory that provides plant nutrient analyses may not be equipped to detect the low levels of Mo critical for assessing deficiencies.

Levels of Mo in petiole samples varied considerably in 2006.  Although a few of the sites appeared to have deficient levels, only one site was confirmed to be deficient by both laboratories.  The varieties that were labeled as having deficient Mo levels (£0.14 ppm) by at least one of the labs were also reported as showing symptoms of poor fruit set in 2006, except for those in Frederick Co.  In contrast, many other sites that reported poor fruit set were not deficient in Mo.  Other sites reporting fruit set problems had Mo levels in the range of 0.3 to 0.9 ppm as well as sufficient levels of B and Zn, suggesting that factors other than mineral nutrition may have been responsible for poor fruit set.  Research by Williams et al. (4) showed that foliar applications of molybdenum did not improve fruit set when petiole values were greater than 0.14 ppm, therefore we do not promote the use of Mo fertilizer in vineyards that test above 0.14 ppm unless future research shows improvements for grafted vines in the Mid-Atlantic region.

In the event that future work in the Mid-Atlantic shows that Mo is the primary cause of recurring fruit set problems, there are practical methods to increase Mo content in vines.  Foliar sprays are effective because Mo is mobile in both the xylem and phloem.  Mo sprays on Merlot in the Australian study did not significantly affect uptake of other nutrients, such as B, Zn, and had no effect on vegetative growth of vines (4).  Additionally, the two sprays per season (bloom, veraison) at a rate of 0.64 lbs/acre molybdate and applied in about 300 gal/acre of water did not cause phytotoxicity in vines.  Future research will be needed to determine critical levels for Mo in Virginia vineyards before we have reason to expect that different levels are needed.  Some trace mineral products that are currently being used in vineyards in the Mid-Atlantic to apply B and Zn, also contain Mo, but it is difficult to distinguish if improvements in fruit set are due to the Mo component.  The effects of Mo application have yet to be determined in a controlled study in this region. 

Acknowledgments:
We thank A&L Eastern Laboratories, Richmond Virginia and Agri Analysis Inc., Leola Pennsylvania and all of the growers who participated in this study.

Literature Cited:

  1. Kaiser, B. N., Gridley, K. L., Ngaire Brady, J., Phillips, T., Tyerman, S. D. 2005. The role of molybdenum in agricultural plant production.  Annals of Botany. 96:745-754.
  2. Marschner, H.  1995.  Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants, 2nd ed.  Academic Press, New York.
  3. Mullins, M. G., Bouquet, A., Williams, L. E. 2000. Biology of the grapevine. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.
  4. Williams, C. M. J., Maier, N. A., Bartlett, L. 2004. Effect of molybdenum foliar sprays on yield, berry size, seed formation, and petiolar nutrient composition of “Merlot” grapevines. Journal of Plant Nutrition. 27(11):1891-1916.

 

III.  Upcoming meetings

8 - 10 February 2007

What: Virginia Vineyards Association annual technical conference
When: February 8 -10, 2007
Where: Omni Hotel, Charlottesville VA

See the program agenda and registration materials following the calendar of regional events

Calendar of Regional Viticulture and Enology Events for 2007. 
Thanks again to Mark Chien of The Pennsylvania State University’s Cooperative Extension for putting together this comprehensive listing of events in the region.

JANUARY
10/11 Juice and Wine Analysis Short Course offered by the Enology-Grape Chemistry Group at Virginia Tech.  Food Science and Technology Building, VA Tech, Blacksburg, VA.  Program is hands-on, practically oriented laboratory course.  Limited to 14 students. Reg fee is $450.  Please visit enology group web site for more information http://www.fst.vt.edu/extension/enology/events.html 
11

Pruning Workshop.  Manatawny Creek Winery. Douglassville, PA.  Commercial vineyard pruning methods.  Lecture presentation and field demonstration.  $15 registration covers handouts, coffee and donuts.  Call Mark Chien for registration.

16 Vineyard Development Workshop. Waltz Vineyard. Manheim, PA. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This workshop is designed to demonstrate to grape growers, especially new ones, what must be done to develop a high quality wine grape vineyard.  The focus is on practical information. Waltz Vineyard is one of the best vineyards in Pennsylvania. Jan and Kim Waltz will explain the secret to their success.  Other speakers include equipment and supply vendors, nurserymen, and information related to establishing a vineyard including vine training, trellising, disease, insect and weed control and more.  Registration will be available in December.  Call Mark Chien for more information.
19

Viticulture Session, Long Island Agricultural Forum. Suffolk County Community College in Riverhead, NY.  9 a.m. to noon.  Featured speakers include Cornell University professors Dr. Tom Burr speaking on crown gall bacteria, Dr. Mark Fuchs will discuss grapevine viruses and Dr. Wayne Wilcox will review fungal diseases of 2006.  For more information, call Linda Holm at 631-727-7850, ext 341.

20 Getting a Vineyard Started.  Linden Vineyards. Linden, VA. 10:30-4:00.  A series of professional seminars geared towards commercial winegrowers is taught by Jim Law. These are practical courses focused on small scale high quality vineyard and wine production in the mid-Atlantic region. They are a reflection of Jim Law’s own experiences, approaches and philosophies after 25 years of pursuing an understanding of the thousands of pieces of the puzzle that need to be joined together to make great wine.  Fee is $150. Pre-registration required. Limited space.  Seminar outline available on line at http://www.lindenvineyards.com/linden/
20

Training and dormant pruning workshop. Chateau O’Brien, Markham, VA. 10:00 – 3:00 pm. Young vines through mature, cane and spur pruning, emphasizing affects upon quality and quantity. Designed to harmonize training decisions with your infrastructure and vinestock, with attention to long term management emphasizing vine health and consistency. Hands on experience. Contact Jason Murray at 410-598-4317 (jason@chateauobrien.com)

21 Winemaking Basics. Linden Vineyards.  The nuts and bolts of both red and white commercial winemaking, this seminar is geared towards the novice, but moves quickly with classroom, cellar and tasting sessions. High end artisan winemaking is the focus.  Seminar outline, info and registration at http://www.lindenvineyards.com/linden/ 
23

SE PA Crops Conference.  Allentown, PA.  Mark Chien will talk about how to transition from traditional crops to wine grapes in SE PA.  Please contact the

23-25 Unified Wine and Grape Symposium. Sacramento Convention Center, CA.  Probably now the biggest wine and grape trade show and meeting in the country.   Lots of research and practical viticulture and enology presentations.  Program, information and registration at http://www.unifiedsymposium.org/
29-31

Indiana Grape and Wine Symposium.  Adam’s Mark Hotel. Indianapolis, IN.  Concurrent with the annual horticulture congress, grape and wine sessions occur over the three days.  Monday night reception and banquet. Trade show.  For information, go to http://www.inhortcongress.org/

30

Grape Section to the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention. Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, Hershey, PA. 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. The topic is insect pests in vineyards with the focus on control strategies including sustainable methods, grape berry moth, grape root borer, mites, bees and Japanese beetles and proper insecticide choice and use.  This meeting is sponsored by the State Horticulture Association of Pennsylvania and Penn State Cooperative Extension.  PA and NJ pesticide credits are available.  For information and registration please contact Maureen Irvin at 717-677-4184. 

FEBRUARY
1-3

Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) annual conference.  Penn Stater Hotel, State College, PA.  “Farming for the Future”.  This amazing event is PASA's signature and our main vehicle for community building. Widely regarded as the best of its kind in the East, this diverse 3-day spectacular brings together an audience of over 1,500 farmers, processors, consumers, students, environmentalists, and business and community leaders annually. For complete information and registration, go to the PASA web site at http://www.pasafarming.org/

3

Maryland Grape Growers Association annual meeting.  Turf Valley Resort, Ellicott City, MD. www.turfvalley.com. Combined meeting of wine and growers associations.  Dr. David Smart from UC-Davis will talk about grapevine rootstocks.  Other topics include soil analysis and site prep, tank/barrel/lees chemistry and care,  finishing/fining materials and methods and more. Also association business meetings  Visit http://marylandwine.com/mgga/index.html for more information or contact Dick Penna at 310-432-2338 for information. 

3-5 22nd Annual Midwest Grape and Wine Conference at the Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, MO.  This is a major vit/enol program for the Midwest. New grower training includes site selection, trellis systems and vineyard economics.  Advanced vit topics include drip irrigation, vine nutrition, Pierce’s disease and cold hardy cultivars.  Lots of enology and wine marketing.   For information and registration contact Rozanna at 573-486-5596.  For more information visit www.missouriwine.org.
6 Pruning Workshop. Naylor Wine Cellars. Stewartstown, PA.  9 a.m. to noon.  Commercial vineyard pruning methods.  Lecture presentation and field demonstration.  $15 registration covers handouts, coffee and donuts.  http://www.naylorwine.com/ Call Mark Chien for registration.
7-9

Viticulture 2007 and the 36th Annual NY Wine Industry Workshop.  Rochester Riverside Convention Center, NY.  A comprehensive series of seminars with world-class speakers will cover the most important topics for industry members, who will also have the opportunity to "kick the tires" of all kinds of equipment and services at a large trade show. This meeting substitutes for the Finger Lakes Grape Convention in March. 3-day registration is $220 includes sessions, trade show and meals.  For information and registration go to http://www.viticulture2007.org/

8-10 Virginia Vineyard Association Annual Winter Meeting.  Omni Hotel, Charlottesville, VA.  Two days of practical information for growers and wine makers and research information from VA Tech.  Topics include research updates, grape diseases, sensory evaluation of Cabernet Franc, irrigation, legislative update and business meeting.   For more information, please visit http://www.virginiavineyardsassociation.com/
16/17

2007 Cold Climate Grape and Wine Conference.  Holiday Inn Select Hotel, Bloomington, MN. Two days of parallel tracks in grape growing and wine making.  Topics include planning to start a vineyard and winery, frost protection, water stress, sustainable wine growing, growers round table, crop insurance, canopy management, pruning and training and many enology topics.  For information and registration please visit http://www.mngrapes.org/ or contact Lisa Smiley at 651-258-4334. 

16/17 Tennessee Viticultural and Oenological Society Annual Meeting.  Riverview Inn, Clarksville, TN.  For more information got to www.tvos.org.
21/22 Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention.  Brock University, Ste Catharines, Ontario.  Speakers include Wayne Wilcox, Andrew Landers, Rufus Isaacs, Mark Chien from U.S. and Chrystel Olivier, Kevin Ker, Jim Cambell from CAN on a variety of viticulture topics.  . For more information, please go to http://www.ofvc.ca  or contact Tony Sgambulleri 905-945-1713 or Ken Slingerland 905-562-1639, ken.slingerland@ontario.ca.
24

Grape Expectations: A Viticultural and Enological Symposium.  Forsgate Country Club. Monroe Twp, NJ.  Always an outstanding wine and grape program that includes a mystery wine and awards for NJ wines are presented. Registration fee is $80.  For information and registration, please contact Dr. Gary Pavlis at 609-758-7311 x10. 

24

Vineyard design and installation workshop. Chateau O’Brien vineyards, Markham, Virginia. Covers: pre-plant decisions that affect quality potential, site evaluation and preparation, vineyard layout, trellis systems, & vine density: affects on quality and quantity. Plant material selection, young vine management, and more. Contact Jason Murray at 410-598-4317 (jason@chateauobrien.com)

26

Pennsylvania Association of Winegrowers Annual Meeting.  Farm and Home Center, Lancaster, PA. Viticulture topics and speakers to be announced and the PAW annual business meeting.  Information and registration can be found on the PAW web site at www.pawinegrowers.com/

MARCH
5

Winery Planning and Design Workshop (part of Wineries Unlimited).  This one day workshop covers winery design, equipment and wastewater treatment. Offered by the Enology Group at Virginia Tech.  See Wineries Unlimited web site for information and registration.

6-9 Wineries Unlimited.  The largest wine and vineyard meeting and trade show moves to the Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia, PA this year.  Sessions cover a wide range of viticulture, enology and wine marketing topics.  A one-day seminar “Managing a Winery Laboratory” will be led by Dr. Barry Gump from CSU-Fresno.  News, information and registration for WU can be found at http://www.vwm-online.com/wu/
19

Purdue Wine Grape Spring Workshop. Location to be determined. For information go to http://www.indianawines.org.

24

Commercial vineyard management workshop. Chateau O’Brien vineyards, Markham, Virginia. Understanding the ‘what, why, how, and when’ of vineyard management, canopy and fruit management, and more. Contact Jason Murray at 410-598-4317 (jason@chateauobrien.com)

APRIL
24 Pennsylvania Wine Association Annual Meeting.  Harrisburg/Hershey Sheraton (formerly Wyndham). Harrisburg, PA.  Invited speakers focus on current topics important to the PA wine industry. Enology, wine marketing and viticulture topics are all on the program.  Pesticide credits available.  Awards banquet and annual PWA business meeting.  For information, please call Jennifer at 717-234-1844.
MAY
18-19 Vineyard Soils Workshop with Paul Anamosa. Lancaster, PA.  A 2-day workshop with one day in class and another in soil pits learning about the principles and properties of vineyard soils. The focus will be on practical aspects of soil analysis and management for grape growers.  Paul is one of the most respected soil scientists specializing in vineyards in California.    Visit Paul’s web site at http://www.vineyardsoil.com/   Contact Mark Chien for information.   
JUNE
  Summer vineyard meetings are offered periodically in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Western NY and the Finger Lakes.  Please look for further announcements about these important field days, coffee pots, twilight and other educational gatherings or contact the viticulture extension agent in each region.
18

Purdue Wine Grape Summer Workshop.  Indiana. Location to be determined. For information go to http://www.indianawines.org

20-22

American Society for Enology and Viticulture Annual Convention. Grand Sierra Resort, Reno, CA.  ASEV is the professional association of the U.S. wine industry.  The focus is on viticulture and enology research with a large trade show.  For more information, go to www.asev.org.

23 Getting a Vineyard Started.  Linden Vineyards, Linden, VA.  See January 20 entry.
24

Vineyard Management.  Linden Vineyards, Linden, VA.  The focus on this session is the finer points of day to day management of a producing vineyard. Canopy management to impact quality and flavors is the main emphasis. Horticultural decisions such as pruning, training, pest management and vine nutrition are also covered.

JULY
15-17

American Society for Enology and Viticulture Eastern Section Annual Meeting. This is an important opportunity for non-western states growers to hear the latest research results from their regions include student papers and Viticulture Consortium projects.  Pre-conference tour of  local wineries is available.  For more information, visit the ASEV-ES web site at http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/fst/asev/ 

TBA Richard Smart Vine Balance Workshop, Pennsylvania.  Date and location TBA. canopy and crop management and vine balance all targeted at quality grapes  will be the theme of the meeting.
AUGUST
4 Winemaking Basics. Linden Vineyards. Linden, VA.  See January 21 entry.
5

Advanced Wine Making Workshop.  Linden Vineyards. Linden, VA. e finer points of artisan winemaking are covered in this seminar with time spent in the vineyard, cellar, classroom and tasting. Style and quality issues are the focus. Participants should have some winemaking experience or have taken the Winemaking Basics Seminar.  Limited space. Pre-registration required.  http://www.lindenvineyards.com/linden/ 

TBA Pennsylvania Association of Winegrowers Annual Summer Vineyard Walk Around.  Registration and pre-registration required.  Pesticide credits are available.  For information, call Mark Chien or Stephen Menke.
SEPTEMBER
10 Purdue Wine Grape Summer Fall Workshop. Purdue West Lafayette campus. Meigs Horticulture research farm and Food Science Bldg. enology labs. For information go to http://www.indianawines.org

 

IV. VA Vineyards Association annual technical meeting agenda

Virginia Vineyards Association
2007 Technical Meeting & Trade Show

Omni Hotel, Charlottesville, Va.
Tentative Agenda

Thursday,   February 8, 2007  (Separate registration fee required: $40.00).
1:00 pm Registration
1:30 pm

Petit Manseng: a viticultural and enological exploration of the current status and potential for this variety in the mid-Atlantic. Will include wine tastings. Separate registration fee required ($40.00).  Tony Wolf, Bruce Zoecklein, Virginia Tech, and guest speakers.

5:00 pm Adjourn
Friday, February 9, 2007
7:30 am Registration
8:30 am Welcome, Rock Stephens, VVA President
8:45 am Powdery and downy mildew resistance survey, Anton Baudoin, Virginia Tech
9:15 am Update on Pierce's Disease in Virginia, Anna Wallingford, Virginia Tech
9:45 am Grap root borer research, Chris Bergh, Virgina Tech
10:30 am

Grower Panel Discussion:  What worked and what didn’t during the 2006 season in the Mid-Atlantic.  Speakers from Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina will share experiences on crop vs. quality, canopy management, wildlife control, bees, berry splitting, disease control and possibly other topics.  Tony Wolf, Virginia Tech, Moderator.

12:00 pm Break for lunch (on your own)
1:30 pm Grape mealy bug: effects on grape quality, leafroll virus transmission, and considerations for management.  Doug Pfeiffer, Virginia Tech.
2:00 pm Economic impact of the Virginia Wine Industry (Tentative)., Motto, Kryla, Fisher, LLP (MKF) Research representative.
2:30 pm Enology program research updates, Bruce Zoecklein, Virginia Tech
3:15 pm

Winemaker roundtable: Dealing with herbaceous tones in Cabernet franc. Program will include wine tasting and discussions of viticultural and enological practices to enhance Cabernet franc wine quality., Bruce Zoecklein, Virginia Tech, Moderator.

6:00 pm Wine Reception with Vendors (6:00 - 8:00 pm)

Saturday, February 10, 2007

8:00 am  Continental Breakfast
8:30 am Assessing the risks of drought and the need for irrigation in the mid-Atlantic. Tony Wolf, Virginia Tech.
9:15 am Late-season disease control option to minimize fermentation problems. Tony Wolf, Bruce Zoecklein, and others.
10:00 am Break
10:15 am VVA Business meeting and presentation of "Grower of the Year" award.
12:00 pm Buffet Lunch (provided)
1:30 pm

Guest speaker: Robert Bloxom, Virginia’s Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry.

2:00 pm Powdery mildew research (recent research and fungicide updates). Wayne Wilcox, Cornell University.
3:40 pm Break
4:00 pm

Grape maturation in a hot climate. How hot is too hot? A discussion of the effects of heat on color formation, flavor and aroma compounds, and how we might modify canopy management, crop load, varieties, etc. to optimize wine potential in a hot environment. Sara Spayd, North Carolina State University.

5:00 pm Adjourn

Meeting Registration Fees:
Petit Manseng on Thursday, February 8, 2007, 1:00pm – 5:00pm. 

The fee for this session is $40 per member/$100 for non-members.

Technical meeting and trade show, February 9 – 10, 2007
Registration fee is $170.00 per member/$230 for non-members.  Payable VVA, PO Box 91, Clifford VA 24533. To avoid a late fee, registrations must be postmarked by January 27, 2007.  The fee covers: Educational sessions on Friday and Saturday, Morning and afternoon coffee breaks, Trade show with vendors, Wine reception on Friday evening with the vendors, Continental breakfast on Saturday, Lunch on Saturday.

Cancellation Policy:
Registration cancellations received (vavines@ceva.net) by January 27, 2007 will be fully refunded.  No refunds will be made after that date. 

Hotel Reservations:
Registrants are responsible for their own room reservations.  Call the OMNI at 434-971-5500 and specify that you are attending the Virginia Vineyards Association meeting.  Reservations must be made by the Omni’s cut-off date of January 22, 2007 to receive the special pricing of $115.00 for single/double per night.

Hotel location:  The Omni Hotel is located at 235 West Main Street, Charlottesville, VA  22902.  It can be reached via McIntyre Street from Route 250 Bypass (east), or from the 5th Street exit of Interstate 64.  Parking is available at the hotel for $6.00 per day. 

VVA Membership
Membership in the Virginia Vineyards Association is open to all who share an interest in commercial grape production in Virginia.  The VVA is a non-profit organization whose goal is to further that interest via:

Benefits of membership include:

Membership fee:  Each VVA membership fee of $60 covers up to two people per vineyard or company.  Associate members can be added to a membership for $10 each.  The Grape Press newsletter is sent electronically and can be sent to all members and associate members. 

Questions: Contact Kay Thompson at 434-277-9463 or e-mail: vavines@ceva.net

 


"Viticulture Notes" is a bi-monthly newsletter issued by Dr. Tony K. Wolf, Viticulture Extension Specialist with Virginia Tech's Alson H. Smith, Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Winchester, Virginia. If you would like to receive "Viticulture Notes" as well as Dr. Bruce Zoecklein's "Vinter's Corner" by mail, contact Dr. Wolf at:

Dr. Tony K. Wolf
AHS Agricultural Research and Extension Center
595 Laurel Grove Road
Winchester, VA 22602

or e-mail: vitis@vt.edu

Commercial products are named in this publication for informational purposes only. Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, and Virginia State University do not endorse these products and do not intend discrimination against other products that also may be suitable.

Visit Virginia Cooperative Extension.

Visit Alson H. Smith, Jr., Agricultural Research and Extension Center.