What happens to vines with excessive water during the growing season?

When vines receive excessive water during the growing season, they tend to continue growing foliage, such as leaves, at the expense of grape ripening. This happens because the increased water supply promotes vegetative growth, which can lead to lush leaf development. While leaf growth is essential for photosynthesis, an overabundance of water can cause the plant to focus its energy on growing more leaves rather than on ripening the grapes. As a result, this can hinder the quality and maturity of the fruit, preventing it from reaching its full flavor potential.

In contrast, options that suggest less sunlight, smaller grapes, or dormancy do not accurately capture the effects of excessive water. While vines do need adequate sunlight for growth, excessive water does not reduce their sunlight needs; it might, in fact, create conditions where the leaves block some sunlight due to excessive growth. Smaller grapes can occur in certain contexts, but the immediate effect of excessive water is more about the balance of vegetative growth versus fruit ripening rather than size. Dormancy is a state that typically occurs in response to environmental stress or seasonal changes, which is not directly related to overwatering during the growing season.