Grapes and fields from the vineyard always make us happy no matter how knocked down by life we are. They provide a sense of the beauty of nature and this keeps us going. The geographical location of vineyards should be at their absolute best.
In today’s world, one can think of investing several million dollars in vineyards. If one invests today he can recoup entire investment within 10 years as the rates are steadily increasing. One should always keep in mind that grapes grow only in the world’s most perfect climates and surroundings.
Property value increases by making money from the grapes, wine or winery leasing in a decade. The best geographical location for a vineyard include the following:
Soil characteristics and fertilizing
Like many other plants, the grapevine needs a loose soil surface layer of 50-60 cm in order to start off properly. A second crucial element is a calcium. The soil’s pH should be around 6.5 – 7. So often calcium is given every single year. As organic material, you can choose between well digested or dried manure, compost, potting or wood soil, or a pure organic commercial fertilizer with low salt concentration and free of chlorine.
Rootstock
The variety Solaris ripens even in Denmark and in the south of Sweden. Most of the time, the type of soil is no handicap either. Wine grapevines are not really demanding where the soil is concerned (so you don’t need necessarily perfect soil like the one along the Mosel River in Germany or the one in the Banyuls region in Southern France in order to produce healthy grapes), if only the right rootstock is selected. For loam soil, the rootstock SO4 is suited, for good sand soil the 5C, for poor sandy soil the 5BB and for calcium-rich soil the 125AA. And then there is the virus resistant rootstock Borner. This rootstock can be used in nearly every soil type.
Location
In order to maximize exposure to sunshine, vineyards are often established on slopes directed to the south. Wine grapevines definitely need a sunny location. Plant them preferably in rows in a north-south direction so they can profit best from sunlight. If necessary, you can also choose for another plant direction. In a row, the grapevines are planted every 1,20 or 1,40 (1,50) m. The distance between the rows must be 1,8 m minimally and 2,25 m maximally. With a smaller distance between rows the grapes do not get enough sunlight and the humidity in the vineyard reaches higher levels than desired. With a bigger distance between rows, the air is cooling too quickly by the influence of the wind.
Wet feet
If your land plot consists of turf soil with a high ground water level, then you’re unlucky. Then, unfortunately, it is very hard to cultivate wine grapevines. They really don’t like wet feet and acid soil. To a certain degree, a mushroom fertilizer may help here.
Soil activity
Most importantly, the soil must live. The active micro and macro-organisms enable the grapevine to take minerals from the soil. It is useful to plant grapevines in a covering of low grasses, clover, and flowers. This covering increases the soil activity and fertility. Moreover, the clover brings nitrogen into the soil and the growing plants attract natural enemies of harm-causing insects, so they function as pesticides.
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