Impact of Training System and Vine Spacing on Vine Performance, Berry Composition, and Wine Sensory Attributes of Riesling

Abstract

Own-rooted Riesling vines were subjected over a four-year-period to five training treatments (alternate double crossarm, ADC; Lenz Moser, LM; low cordon, LC; low-V, LV; and pendelbogen, PB) and three vine spacings (1.4, 1.8, and 2.4 m). Divided canopies led to weights of cane prunings (vine size) and mean cane weights that were optimal (0.32 to 0.65 kg/m canopy; 15.4 to 34.5 g/cane). Yields were consistently highest for divided canopies as well. Crop loads (ratio of yield: weight of cane prunings) of divided canopies exceeded the presently accepted level (10 to 12) beyond which wine quality could be compromised, but berry, must, and wine composition (Brix, titratable acidity, and pH) were not strongly impacted by training system. Increasing vine spacing led to lower vine size (per m row), cane weights, and occasionally reduced Brix. Riesling wines were also not strongly influenced by training system, except for higher vegetative aroma in the ADC wines. These data strongly suggest that high wine quality may be obtained from divided canopies despite large crop size and high crop loads.