Grape Leaves Identification

The amount of knowledge I have been exposed to here in France is overwhelming. I feel inundated by the grape types, diseases and even the geography in general. I took a half day today to do some self directed research and studying. The first priority is to be able to comprehend and identifiy the type of grapes while I'm in the field. This important step will help me understand how different grape varieties respond to climate change independently. Grapes can be identified by their leaves. I have labelled few of them below but the art of cultivating vine growth and direction is also important. For example: In bordeaux the climate is generally humid due to the promixity to the bay. Moisture is not a good thing for the grapes because it increases the acidity level. In order to prevent this problem, Bordeaux viners spread the vines farther apart to accelerate the rate of evaporation. This method is not practiced in other region of France.

(Chardonnay)

(Cabernet Franc)

(Tocai)

Today Dr. Morin told me that In the early days of the California wine industry, American vintners often brought back vine cuttings from Europe to plant in their vineyards. Sometimes, the varieties were not identified correctly. For example, she said, in the Finger Lakes region of New York people used to say that the Chardonnay grown there tasted “Germanic,” due to the area’s cold climate. The real reason was because their “Chardonnay” was actually Riesling. According to Dr. Morin, the main characteristics that distinguish grape leaves include:

Lobes: If you imagine the leaf as a hand, the lobes would be the individual fingers that extend outward. Some leaves have prominent lobes, other leaves are shield-shaped and have none.

Petiolar sinus: This is the empty space surrounding the stem of the leaf. Some sinuses are wide open, others are very narrow.

Teeth: These are the serrations on the outside edge of the leaf. Some are jagged and sharp, others are rounded.It’s also important to look at the color and texture of the leaves.