Vineyard

From ArticleWorld

A vineyard is any place where grapes are grown for use as table grapes, raisins, or in making wine.

History

Vineyards have been tended since biblical times. According to the Old Testament, Noah planted a vineyard on Mt. Ararat. Vineyards spread across the world with the spread of Christianity. During the middle ages, the monasteries maintained many of the vineyards, improving upon the quality of wine, over time.

Modern vineyards

New techniques have made possible the development of wine industires in various New World countries, like Canada and the U.S.. Today there is increasing interest in organic, ecologically sensitive and sustainable vineyards. Biodynamics has become increasingly important in viticulture. The use of drip irrigation in recent years has expanded vineyards into areas that were previously unplantable. A result of irrigation is consistency of yields, and the virtual irrelevance of the vintage year. Weather plays a smaller part in determining the quality of the harvest. Other recent practices include spraying water on vines to protect them from sub-freezing temperatures, field grafting, T grafting, and other new grafting techniques.

Replanting

Several things can lead to a vineyard being totally replanted. In some countries, like Chile, low-quality grapes have been replaced with higher quality crops. Legislation can also influence the types of grapes grown. Laws can control things like the variety of grapes grown, harvest times, and whether or not vineyards can be irrigated. Another reason for replanting a vineyard is changes in popular tastes. As a certain type of wine grows in commercial appeal, that variety of grape will replace others. Wine critics, like Robert M. Parker, Jr., have influenced viticulture practices around the world.