My guess to her response…
Mycorrhizal network
The belief is driving heavy equipment or/and mechanical tilling of the soil breaks down the organic “fabric” that connects all the vines in a vineyard as network. The health of one vine can affect others.
I think it’s also important to note that while excessive use of chemical fertilizers and any use of chemical weed killers are probably bad, in many ways so is copper sulfate, which is used quite a bit by most (all?) organic growers in areas like Champagne where rot and mold are common threats. People talk about the importance of microbial diversity in the soil while applying something that is definitely working against it. The whole organic vs. “conventional” issue is far from black and white.
Then there’s the question of whether or not those deeper roots are really having any effect on wine quality, or if the differences have to do with the overall approaches in each situation. As far as I know, no one has proven that deeper roots alone improve wine quality. It could be correlation rather than a/the cause. Maybe someone here knows more than I do about this, though.
Sure, no problem.
I personally don’t like adding chemicals into the land - like Round-up or some of the pre-emergent chemicals some people use. If these are toxic to weeds, how are they for our health? And, visually, it looks gross to have strip after strip of yellowed growth all over the place. It even LOOKS unhealthy. The ponds and wells are located within or close to the vineyards. My feeling is it can’t be good.
There are wonderful machines these days that dig out and around the vines. This would be my preferred method for a standard vineyard. However, I do not have vertical trellising, which is low to the ground and very linear. I have old-style, tall vines that branch out from the trunk in a “T” or “V”, and then send out 4 cordons. Then the cordons have their 4-6 spurs, which each send out 2 shoots. The result is that the cordons and shoots jut out into the path between the vine rows. The one time we tried the weeding attachment, the tractor operator had to keep stopping and adjusting so he did not hit his head on the vines, or worse, keep the tractor going dead ahead and take out the vine. It was a very long and painful experience. And VERY expensive. I can get laborers willing to dig them out by hand without enduring the painful task that we did that one season. That’s about the size of it.
Actually, I started tweeting about the NY subway (@SubwayTidbits) and it’s really taking away from my time for Berserkers! ![[snort.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/b/bdc3944606213c4dca6c1169cf0a166c8bc4f8c9.gif "snort.gif"){kind=small}
It would mean a lot for you to contribute why you dig weeds out by hand. There is a recent belief by many that the more weeds, grass, growth in the vineyard the merrier and this isn’t always so. In my experience, a lot depends on region, climate, exposition, location, etc…, but I think it would be very educational for you to share why you do what you do. It helps to show that there is no one right answer, but many wonderful paths you can go down in the natural world.
Doesn’t it also depend on water availability? If water is available, weeds are no problem. If there’s a water restriction issue, then the weeds compete for the hydration.
John, are you tweeting about the word choices used by graffiti artists?
I imagine they express themselves succinctly!
Many factors to consider with cover crop decisions. Too many to discuss in the general terms as all decisions are based on local conditions and vineyard specifics. Different choice impact the micro and messo climates.
I completely agree on the "many factors to consider with cover crop decisions’. My main reason for asking was to show that there is no one right answer for everywhere. Lately it seems people seem to think that you need lots of cover crops/weeds/grass to be a good grower - at least in Champagne. And it isn’t that simple or straightforward.
I agree with the latest comments and it’s impossible to over-generalized anything with regards to wine.
What’s good for one grower simply may not work for another for a number of factors that our individual to them. Sometimes it’s soil issues, sometimes it’s economic, sometimes it’s something completely else.
Cheers.
I just posted a question on Cellar Tracker pertaining to this topic, before seeing this thread here. How can a consumer identify organic or biodynamic producers? Is there some online resource for this? I want to reward biodynamic producers with my business.
Why?
Doug,
I agree on your comments with copper. I think the long term effects of the use (and especially the overuse) of copper is something people need to think long and hard about. It is the one thing I really don’t like about the practices many carryout in the biodynamic world.
As far as the roots going deep, I don’t think roots going deep necessarily equals better wine quality. I think stressed vines and just the right amount of proper nutrients lead to better wine quality. It just so happens that in Champagne this normally means the roots have to dig down deep to reach the chalk or other areas where water exists. My view is that the formula of having the plant spend a lot of its energy to reach the appropriate soil layer equals better fruit quality for making wine. Just so happens that in Champagne and many other areas, this results in deep roots. So deep roots aren’t the cause, but rather an effect - at least IMO.
Some rootstocks naturally dig deeper than others. I have no knowledge of what rootstocks are used in champagne so can’t comment on those. But I am familiar with rootstocks used on the east coast and the most successful are all shallow rooted because our issue is extreme vigor so shallow roots help keep the vines in balance. Regardless of the area or conditions most growers are working to achieve vine balance and both rootstocks and cover crops are part of that management. Vine spacing, trellises choices, etc are other considerations.
That all basically makes sense to me. It’s when I start to hear deep roots be linked to the word “terroir” that my BS alarm goes off. The next sentence often has something to do with tasting the minerals from the ground in the wine, which is not based in reality. I don’t mean anything against Frank. He’s sharing the views of a talented grower, which I actually appreciate even if I disagree. I do wish a lot of smaller producers throughout the wine world would stop oversimplifying and making baseless, often illogical claims to distinguish their practices from those of the big players. Of course, that’s tied in with the idea that organic/biodynamic is inherently better for the vines or the environment than any other approach, which in some cases is just not true.
Every site is different. Water, sun (temperature), soil. Economics, too. We all make choices.
As to claims of making “better” wine because you farm organically, it would be difficult to prove. I don’t file for official organic status. I farm as responsibly as I can, which includes soil and vine care, and also care for the young men who help me in the vineyard.
No claims to anything else. But the buck starts and stops here.