(Wines&Vines) - Grapegrowers devote a lot of attention to water (hardly surprising in view of recent shortages in California), but most probably don’t focus as much on vine nutrition. While aware that plants obviously need minerals, growers also know that grapevines are relatively undemanding compared to most crops, and it sometimes seems that soil contains an unlimited supply.

Nevertheless, the auditorium at Copia in Napa was filled by growers and winemakers at the Napa Valley Grapegrowers’ third seminar in this year’s series about sustainable vineyard practices, which focused on vine physiology and nutrition.

The first speaker was noted expert Dr. Markus Keller, a professor of viticulture at Washington State University and author of The Science of Grapevines. Keller basically concentrated a semester class into little more than an hour.

He focused on mineral nutrients other than water, commenting that vines are very tolerant of drought. He reminded listeners, however, that nutrients must be dissolved in water for the vine to draw them up and use them.