Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
glossary
accession
A single grapevine, or the one plant
from a collection being examined.
allele
The form in which a gene presents itself.
The degree of genetic diversity within and
between populations depends on the assortment
and distribution of alleles.
presence and concentration of each relative to the
others contributes to the intensity and tonality of
color of both grapes and wines made with those
grapes.
ava (american viticultural area)
A specifi c
grape-growing and wine production area in the
United States, created along the lines of France's
Appellation d'Origine Controlée (AOC) and
Italy's Denominazione di Origine Controllata
(DOC). The AVAs are federally recognized and
determined on the basis of geographic character-
istics. Unlike European versions, AVAs do not
include guidelines or requirements as to types of
grapes used or maximum allowed yields of the
wines produced there.
biotype
A grapevine that though genetically
identical to others, presents enough morphologic
and behavioral diversity to be viewed as a separate
subvariety of the same family. Unfortunately, in
Italy's National Registry, biotypes are not yet
offi cially recognized or described as such, though
it appears that this will become a necessary step
in the future.
clonal selection
The process by which farmers
and wine producers propagate those individuals
in their vineyards that have the desired character-
istics. These positive attributes (such as generous
yields or disease resistance) change over time:
whereas in the nineteenth century it was more
important for growers to identify and reproduce
high-yielding varieties, today lower-yielding
cultivars and biotypes are preferred.
ampelography
The science that describes grape
varieties via the use of drawings and/or
photographs.
ampelology
The term that I, and other experts,
believe ought to be used to describe the study
of grapevines, instead of the still commonly
used term ampelography. As the identifi cation
and description of grapevines today is arrived
at by more than just drawn or photographic
reproductions, but rather by a combination
of morphologic, biochemical, cellular, and
molecular biology data, ampelology is the more
correct term by which to identify this specifi c
branch of science.
anthocyanin
The pigments typically associated
with grapes and all higher plants. These are
found mainly in grape skins, but can also be
found in varying concentrations within the pulp
of some grape varieties. Usually, the best wine
grapes have colorless pulps. Anthocyanins are
derived from molecules called anthocyanidins,
which have a molecule of sugar attached that is
cleaved to form anthocyanins. There are fi ve
major groups of anthocyanins in grapes: cyanins,
petunins, peonins, malvins, and delphins. The
