"I saw the sign..."

...and it opened up my eyes... to all the different types of trellises involved in viticulture!

If you haven't gone by the garden recently, check out the new sign we've installed that provides some great information about the awesome teaching vineyard on the west side of the RMI.

If you can't make it to the garden, click here to view a larger pdf.
Or if you just want a few tidbits, here are some fun facts:

• There are eight different areas or "blocks" of grape vines in the new vineyard dedicated to different donors, trellising systems, and types of grapes.
• There are many different trellis types and trellising techniques based on a variety of factors such as grape variety, climate, and method of harvest.
• The Harry E. Jacob Variety Demonstration Block in the Teaching Vineyard is a reference collection featuring over 300 of the world's major grape varieties and is arranged by country, region and variety.
• Ampelography is the area of botany that identifies and classifies grapevines.  It means "grape vine identification" in Greek.  Students are trained in the Ampelography block which features examples of the most widely-planted wine grapes in California.
• The vineyard also includes a table grape block featuring current and historic grape varieties not used for wine such as Crimson Seedless, Autumn Royale, Malaga and Muscat of Alexandria.

And just in case you don't know:

Vi•ti•cul•ture - n. : the cultivation or culture of grapes
Enol•o•gy - n. :a science that deals with wine and wine making
(from the UC Davis Viticulture and Enology website)

Visit the UC Davis Viticulture and Enology Program website for more info as well!