Yield Versus Quality

I happened upon a really great site by chance which clarified for me, some of the issues in the yield versus quality debate that states that the lower the yield, the higher the quality. According to Jordan Ross at Enology International the factors affecting yield and quality include:

• Growing region
• Vineyard site
• Vine density
• Clone
• Grape variety
• Pruning
• Crop thinning
• And the complex relationships between all of these factors

Knowledge of the growing region is important. Adopting measures practiced in France and applying it to a New World site does not necessarily result in quality grapes. Jean-Michel Cazes of Chateau Lynch Bages was quoted by Ross as saying: "quantity and quality are not contradictory, that just because you produce a small volume, it doesn’t mean you make better wine."
The late Justin Meyer (Silver Oaks Winery) commented, “The first step is finding a good site and planting the correct variety." The problem is not to control the yield but to control the vigor of the vine and allow the site to dictate what that crop level should be.
The ideal site is a low vigor site. Too much water makes for an excess of vigor and that is not good for the quality of the wine. Andy Bledsoe of Mondavi explains: “The concept of a low vigor vine is the key.” Bledsoe elaborated on the conditions needed to achieve a low vigor vine as being “a well-drained soil so water is not too available, not overly nutritious so growth is limited, combined with the proper combination of rootstock, spacing and grape variety.”
Low yield is necessary to achieve the highest quality provided that the low yield is achieved through low vigor and not through green harvesting, severe pruning, or diseases which destroy the crop.
Cultural practices such as the appropriate trellis system, leaf pulling to open up the canopy maximizing sunlight exposure, improving air circulation, preventing rot and enhancing fruitfulness can contribute to the production of quality fruit. Overcropping, on the other hand exhausts the vine by depleting its stored energy reserves causing sluggish growth the following spring leading to reduced fruitfulness, excessive vegetative growth, shading of clusters and delayed maturity.
The above are some of the take-home messages that I got by reading Jordan Ross's article, Yield vs. Quality at Enology International. Check it out for the complete discussion on this topic.