The Vitis vinifera vine cross-section

The vines are ordinarily seen arranged among the posts in the vineyards. This view is certainly familiar to all of our winemakers. However, the intricate system and depth to which the roots travel are unnoticed by many. Read on below to discover information only well known to viticulturalists and oenologists.

1. The topsoil is worked with ploughs, rotary hoe or cultivator during the growing season. This ensures good tilth. Any weeds are rooted up and dried off.

2. The topsoil (upper 20 cm) has completely different characteristics from the lower layers. It is much darker in colour as a result of the manure, peat, straw and compost that has been worked into it. There are relatively few vine roots at this level.

3. The next layer beneath the rich topsoil down to about 60 cm is trench ploughed when a new vineyard is made or when replanting is necessary about every 15 to 20 years. This layer contains permanent humus (darker in colour) and sand and stones from the lower levels (light coloured). This is the zone from which the vines draw water and mineral foods, so there are a lot of vine roots here.

4. The layer below this (down to 1 metre) contains only loose, weathered rocky material. The proportion of large and small stones increases. The amount of the vine roots decreases. Any roots in this layer are mainly for water absorption.

5. The next layer, down to 1.5 metres is solid rock with occasional faults. Only very few roots can penetrate here, usually to supply the vines with water in particularly dry years. Some types of soil (e.g. loess or shale) enable the roots of the vine to grow to a depth of up to 5 metres in their search for water.

As can be seen from the above discussion, the roots of the vine can penetrate quite a distance into the earth. It should come as no surprise that many vitamins and minerals can be extracted from the soil by this sometimes vast network of rootlets. Wine experts appreciate that the longer the grapes hang on the vine, and the riper they become, the longer they have time to absorb potassium with other minerals from the ground. This association of potassium and tartaric acid in the must or wine naturally forms these crystals, which do not dissolve in the wine. With long storage in casks, which is necessarily given to fine wine, they are deposited at the bottom of the cask. If a light shone in an older wine cask, the crystals glitter in it like an ice cave.
Our all natural 100% pure fresh vinifera grape juice will often contain such tartar crystals and they are conclusively a characteristic of their superiority. It signifies that the grapes were harvested at the peak of ripeness, therefore achieving a proper balance without man having to interfere with balancing. Once the crystals form, the wine will lose its "sharpness" and becomes very smooth and very palatable.

An important point to remember is that most of these minerals and vitamins may be lost in any concentrate home winemaking kits, according to recent studies.